Aeternus
by LoverlyLox
Summary: Contrary to popular belief, amnesia should not be acquired weeks after Morgana's defeat; especially when liars and traitors are lurking about.  Done for the Balthy 100 Challenge. On hiatus.
1. Prompt 001: Arcana Cabana

_**A/N: **The Sorcerer's Apprentice movie was defintely an excellent movie. I also stumbled upon the Balthy 100 Challenge and this idea was planted in my head. If it isn't obvious enough, this is my first fic. Any criticism or feedback is welcome._

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Prompt One : Arcana Cabana

After Morgana's defeat, about a week later, Becky was invited to Arcana Cabana. Dave accompanied her. Balthazar and Veronica met them outside. They greeted the couple and trekked inside. Becky blanched as soon as she entered. Books in various sizes and colors, strange artifacts, vases, and maps littered the floor, shelves, as well as the wide counter in the front. Just to get to the middle of the room required stepping over half a million things.

"Did you memorize the directions?" Balthazar asked.

"Yes," Becky answered. "It was really simple. How come I'm here?"

She had only asked because Balthazar wore a mixed expression on his face.

"There's a reason," Balthazar said, in a very serious voice. "Do you remember when Horvath kidnapped you?"

"How could I forget?" Becky said. She was only half-joking. But it had been a frightening time, and she didn't want to relive that.

"We wanted you to learn the way to Arcana Cabana," Veronica said slowly, taking her eyes off Becky and looking at Balthazar, "is because we've put all sorts of spells and charms on it. It's very protected and it keeps anyone inside safe. You know about us, Becky, and we don't want to force you out of the truth. But we need to reassure your safety as well. So if anything ever happens to one of us or you sense danger, this is the place to go."

"Oh," she said, realizing. "I understand. I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

"If you feel like there's trouble around, you come straight to Arcana Cabana," Balthazar informed her. "Nothing gets in."

Becky shivered, wondering if she would ever have to truly use this antique shop as a safe harbor. Dave noticed. "Okay," he said. "She gets it, Balthazar."

At the time, Becky thought she had understood. Trouble equals heading to Arcana Cabana. But she'd never been so wrong in her life.

.

.

.

Becky's phone rang shrilly, emitting her favorite song from One Republic. Becky got up from the sofa and strolled towards her cell phone, which was sitting on the bookshelf. She nodded her head to the beat and checked the screen. _Dave calling,_ it said. Becky, surprised, pressed a button and put the phone to her ear.

"Hey, Dave. It's pretty late right now," Becky noted, staring at the clock. The time was 11:52. "Is there—"

"Becky! Go to Arcana Cabana _right now._ Don't stop, go—" There was a loud crunch, then the sounds of plasma bolts being fired.

Dave's voice came back on the phone. Becky was gripped by a numb, cold feeling, and so she couldn't respond as soon as she heard him.

"Becky—go already! Go to Ar—"

More sounds. More plasma bolts being fired.

"Dave!" she shouted. "Dave, what's going on? Where are you?"

"You're the most amazing girlfriend I ever had, Becky," Dave said. He wasn't using a normal tone; his words were hushed. "And I really hope I don't die."

There was a high-pitched shriek waiting on the other end. It was so shrill Becky dropped her phone, wincing and closing her eyes.

It stopped. She bent down and immediately checked the screen. _Call ended._

She carefully inhaled and slowly exhaled. Then she shoved the device into her pockets, locked the door on her way out, and bolted to Arcana Cabana.

.

.

.

As Becky ran through the empty streets of New York City, she could hear her own heartbeat accelerate with each step. She heard no noise that indicated she was being followed and or chased. But Becky could feel the fear accelerating as she saw the doors to Arcana Cabana come into view.

Becky almost collided into the doors. She shook the handles hurriedly, but they didn't budge. Becky shifted from foot to foot as her fingers tried to pry the doors open. She had no clue how she was going to get in.

There was a soft click. Becky pushed the doors and they finally opened. She allowed herself admittance; she shut them too. She kicked books out of her way as she went and found something heavy-looking and big. It was a brown desk piled with things. Becky began forcing the desk up against the doors. The legs scraped against the dull floor, leaving behind quite a few marks. Becky ran upstairs where Balthazar's study was, and sat in the corner, drawing her legs up, trying to make herself look as little as possible.

She pulled out her cell phone and dialed Balthazar with shaky fingers. Her hands were paralyzed, like when you sat too long with crossed legs. Becky felt tiny rain drops of relief when she heard the familiar voice with a strong guttural to it.

"Becky?"

Before he could get anything else out, Becky said in a quick rush, "Dave, he called me and I think he's in trouble and can you do anything about it, please?"

"_What?_"

"Dave," Becky chocked. "He called me. Heard dangerous noises. Told me to go to Arcana Cabana."

He wasted no time. "I'll find him," Balthazar told her. The sharp words meant to comfort, but they lashed out at her instead. "Sit tight while Veronica comes. Don't move until she does."

"Hurry," she said through weak, trembling lips.


	2. Prompt 002: Trousers

**_A/N:_**_ So far, I've been getting a nice amount of story alerts and faves, which is great. But the only way for me to know how my work's going is if I get some sort of message, although I appreciate all the alerts, faves. Jaselin, special thanks goes to you for being the first reviewer!_

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Prompt Two : Trousers

Veronica arrived seconds after Becky did. At first, Becky didn't think it was her. The loud rattling of doors attempting to be open scared her. She jumped from her spot in the corner. She listened as the doors shook.

"Becky!" a voice called.

Becky immediately registered the voice as Veronica's, and dashed down the stairs. They creaked as she moved. Becky suddenly realized it had been a stupid move, putting the heavy desk against the doors. Balthazar had told her a long time ago that the antique shop was covered with charms and spells. Becky struggled to move the desk aside.

"Veronica," she said. Her words were as light as a feather. "Veronica."

"Dear, why aren't the doors opening? Did you forget how to release the locks? The magic is supposed to recognize my form."

"No, it's not that," Becky told her. She forced her lips to stop trembling, but it didn't work. "I kind of pushed a desk against the doors because I thought…they…would…open."

It sounded incredibly ridiculous, even to her own ears.

"All right," Veronica said. "Get out of the way, Becky. I'm going to have to blow the doors open."

"You're kidding."

"Of course not. Go sit on the stairs; they're out of view, so it'll be impossible for the magic to blow that area."

Becky heard the sincerity in the elder woman's voice, and that alone convinced her she should get herself to the stairs. Becky sat the third step, which was partially hidden from view, but she could see enough of the first floor.

"Becky? Are you ready?"

"Yes, I'm on the stairs!"

"Good. All right…"

It was quiet for a couple of minutes. But then the doors made a pounding noise, like a giant banged on them. Becky decided she wasn't going to risk her chances of living; she shoved herself up on the fourth step.

Something blurred as it flew across the room and smashed into the back wall. Becky flinched at the noise. She could hear papers loftily floating in the air as they reached down to the floor. Footsteps followed. Becky blinked as she stared at a thick wooden desk, lying on its back. A few stones, which had been embedded into the desk's surface, now sat on the floor, cracks evident on their skin. Becky jumped off the stairs and came face-to-face with Veronica.

"I've locked the doors," she informed her, gesturing to them. They looked secure, safe. Like no one had used a boatload of magical energy to blow them open.

Becky didn't respond. She just stared at Veronica's deep brown eyes. A sharp stab inflicted a wound on her heart. She wrapped her arms around her torso, unwillingly thinking about Dave and his location. Veronica was silent, but then she removed Becky's arms from her grip. She took the girl's hand and led her upstairs. There, they sat on two chairs in front of a black table.

"I find tea to be useful in situations like these," Veronica suddenly said. She rose from her seat and quietly moved towards some doors on the west wall. She disappeared into another room. A few minutes later, Veronica returned with a tray topped with tea essentials. She came back so quickly she didn't even allow Becky a few minutes to think. Becky felt a surge of gratitude. That was good. She didn't need or want to think.

Veronica poured tea into her cup and then into Becky's.

"Thanks," the younger girl said.

"None required," was Veronica's reply. She brought out a cell phone from her jacket pocket. She laid it on the table, eyes staring intently on the screen. Becky knew she was waiting for Balthazar to call. To deliver the bad news.

As if reading her thoughts, Veronica's gaze flickered to Becky. She turned her chair.

"Turn your chair to me," she said softly. "I'll tell you something."

Becky did as she was told. She was eager to listen to anything, as long as it didn't make her think of Dave.

"What are we going to talk about?" Becky asked cautiously.

"About the day I was locked in the Grimhold," Veronica said.

Becky felt her spirits sink. So she was going to hear a tale of dread, but it was only going to add to her thoughts. Veronica's sacrifice meant losing the love of her life, Balthazar. How would she fare listening to a story as depressing as that? Was she going to have to hear about what sacrifices she needed to make? But Becky knew she was too young for this kind of thing. At twenty, it was impossible to have to face problems such as these.

"You know my story has a happy ending," Veronica reminded her.

She smiled slightly. "It does," Becky said. But Balthazar was in danger of losing his only apprentice. And then Veronica would have to deal with that.

"Let's leave the troubles to Balthazar now." Veronica heard her own words, and quickly reshaped them. "What I mean is, that we shouldn't ponder so much about this. It's only the beginning; we don't know what will occur. For now, let's just try to keep our mind off these kinds of things."

"I'll try. But it's going to be hard, Veronica."

Veronica reached across and laid her hand on Becky's. "Dear," she said slowly. "Let me tell you about that day."

"Work your magic," Becky said without thinking. She smiled again at the irony—it was only a small smile, though.

"I was not expecting to do what I did," Veronica said. "I did expect to see Horvath with Morgana one day. His betrayal alerted us he was in good with the woman; they were quite close, in a professional manner. I could see that when you got into the castle. Merlin was in trouble."

Merlin. Where was he now? Was he watching, from his place? Did he see what was happening—and the solution as well?

"I was trained in all sorts of spells," Veronica explained. "I knew how to act out the soul spell. I was sure I never had to use it. When I was with Balthazar, I felt like I was safe. Even from the thousands of Morganians in that day. He made me much more confident than I already was. But I was still frightened. No one wants to leave their love. It is the hardest thing to do in the world."

"But you did it," Becky interrupted.

"True," Veronica answered. She took her cup from the tray and sipped some of her tea. When she was done, she put it back. "I had to do it. If I didn't, Morgana would gain the upper hand. Her power would extend, and I just couldn't allow it."

"Wasn't Balthazar trained to know that spell too?" Becky asked, interrupting once again. "Why didn't he do what you did?"

"Because he didn't think it through," Veronica replied. "You see, when serious matters are physically in action, it's hard to think clearly. I had that spell in mind immediately. Morgana and I merged; then in the Grimhold we went."

"In the end, you got your guy," Becky said, continuing the tale while skipping a few details. "But was it really so much of a sacrifice, Veronica? I don't mean any disrespect, but you were unconscious all those years. You couldn't actually think during that time…or feel."

"Ah," Veronica said gently. She took another sip from her cup and glanced at the cell phone. Then she returned her stare on Becky. "Yes, I was unconscious, but that was the worst part. I could not think about how I wouldn't see him for possibly forever. I could not think about how I might die. But I was not able to feel, as you pointed out. No grief or gloom, which was benefitting, but I could not feel happiness or trust. I had no way of contacting Balthazar or watching out for him while he was looking for the Prime Merlinian. It is a difficult thing to do, Becky, even if you can't act."

Becky's eyes wandered towards a clock sitting on some shelf. It looked like it came from the past days. It was made of deep black wood with tiny golden decorations, like those clean images on the surface and the beautiful formation of the complicated hands. As the second hand moved ever so slowly, Becky felt a sharper streak of pain.

The phone abruptly rang.

_Chopin? _Becky thought. She was mystified. Veronica grabbed the phone and put it on speakerphone.

"Balthazar! Where do you need us to go?" Veronica demanded. Her loud, clear voice contrasted greatly with the gentle, easy words she spoke earlier.

A thrill shot through Becky's veins. They were going to go somewhere. They were going to move, going to act. _Some closure, _Becky thought eagerly. _Maybe the damage isn't so bad. Maybe Dave's been rescued, and nothing serious happened. I'll even settle for a hospital trip._ Relief was released into her system.

"Do not move. I'm coming to you."

"Wait! What about Dave?" Becky cried out.

"He's at St. Carina's Hospital," Balthazar murmured gravely. "I was able to conjure a protective barrier over Dave's patient room, but I had to leave so the doctors could inspect him."

More relief. _He's not dead,_ Becky told herself mentally. _That's good; I bet he just needs some time to recover. That's all._

"I'm coming to Arcana Cabana to explain the situation. Becky, don't move. Veronica, keep yourselves in check."

"I know what to do, Balthazar. Come over." Her tone was firm, yet soft.

"Hold on!" Becky protested. "Balthazar, before you hang up, tell me about his condition. How okay is he? Is he hurt that bad?"

"I'm coming over there to explain. Sit tight."

He hung up.

"Calm down, Becky," Veronica said. "He's coming. Just the fact he found Dave and sounds all right is a good sign."

"We don't know anything yet," Becky reminded her of the advice. "But it sure sounds like things will be going my way."

.

.

.

Balthazar finally came. He took more time than Veronica, but it was still a speedy amount of time. Becky and Veronica had stayed on the second floor. They hadn't talked much; they sipped their tea and spoke about school. Becky's mind wasn't on anything but Dave, though, yet she returned the questions on the music studio and NYU.

She heard the door opening, and jumped from her chair. She and Veronica hurried down the ancient steps and greeted Balthazar. Veronica gave him a short but sweet hug.

"Balthazar," she said. "What news is there?"

"How's Dave?" Becky inquired.

Balthazar didn't respond. He merely removed his hat and hung his coat on the rack. He quietly said, "Let's go upstairs and have some tea." Then he began walking up with a strong and yielding gait.

"We already had tea," Becky said, in almost a pleading tone. Just give me the details, she wanted to say.

"He hasn't had a cup," Veronica said pointedly. She ushered Balthazar to the second floor, where she made him some tea. Becky sat in her regular seat and watched them interact in a short, hasty manner.

Balthazar stood as he drank his tea. He emptied his entire cup and put it back on the tray.

Eventually, he said, "I found Dave in the same park he defeated Morgana in. We've established a mental link that allows us to find one another. We did it a while back, as you'll remember."

It was true. Becky was told weeks ago.

"So it was easy to locate Dave," Balthazar said. "He was…in quite a serious condition. It was not a pretty scene. I wanted to take him with me so I could heal him, but he had lost so much blood already… The hospital was closer than Arcana Cabana. Not only that, I'm rusty. I didn't need to use magical healing so far, and didn't trust myself."

"I'm more experienced," Veronica interjected, "when it comes down to healing. Why wouldn't you…"

"It was too far, Arcana Cabana," Balthazar said shortly. "I needed the closest place. St. Carina's Hospital was the closest place. I took Dave there. The doctors handled it all well, in my opinion. They had him on a gurney in no time. While they did what they needed to, one of the nurses pulled me aside and gave me information. They also asked questions, a part I didn't enjoy, but had to do in order to avoid suspicion. I told her Dave was clumsy tripped and landed face-first into a glass coffee table. His wounds would be enough evidence for the lie."

"How bad is he?" Becky demanded. "Tell me."

"I can't confirm anything. The doctors will tell me the next time I come. There was blood all over the snow, which I got rid of easily. We don't need the police investigating. Complicates things."

"I want to go to the hospital," Becky said. "I want to see him, Balthazar."

"You will get the chance," Veronica told her. "But let the doctors do their job. When we can, we'll see him."

Becky was silenced.

"What next?" Veronica asked Balthazar.

"They got his clothes off him," Balthazar said, "so they could put him in the patient attire. I was able to use magic to obtain his jeans and erase the memories of those who saw them."

"Why just the jeans?" Becky asked, confused.

"On the jeans were marks. They look like claw marks, but don't match any mundane animal," Balthazar said gruffly. He pulled out a tiny cardboard box from his pockets. With a flick of his fingers, the box significantly grew five times bigger. "I've got the jeans right here. Veronica, come look."

He opened the box and pulled out the jeans. Becky gasped. They looked like something from a crime show. The jeans were a dark blue and thin, to fit Dave's noodle-like body. Deep splotches of burgundy decorated the front and possibly the back. Some free strands lingered and a lot of the fabric was torn. Animal-like marks were evident as well. Becky could see it had been a violent encounter.

"It's… That can't be true," Veronica said, appearing to be astounded. "Those are valiant marks."

"Valiant marks?" Becky repeated. "What are those?"

"Back in the day," Balthazar said, "Morganians used dragons as a symbol of power and force. They kept them as pets and used their magnificent abilities upon common folk and Merlinians. Dragons were rare, but quite useful. There were only fifty in the world. But they died out. Morganians… They like to hunt. Valiant marks are the marks inflicted by dragons."

"But there aren't any scorch marks…"

"Exactly. They use their claws."

Becky resisted the urge to vomit. Dave, alone and vulnerable, in that park when Morganians attacked. The villains, with their cold sneers and smirks, unleashing a dragon upon him, the claws scratching new skin and fabric.

"No," Becky said. "A dragon couldn't have done it. Someone would have seen."

"Becky, there have been quite a few snowstorms, and the temperatures are freezing," Balthazar told her. "No one was around. Only Dave. Judging from those marks, I'd say they were of dragons. A baby dragon, maybe."

"But why was Dave alone in that park?" Becky demanded. "Why would he be all by himself while it was snowing, while it was dark and getting late. It does not make sense."

"We don't know all the details. Just a few crucial ones," Veronica soothed. "Please, dear, let's not get away from ourselves. When David wakes up, we'll be alerted by the doctors and he can tell us what happened."

Silence. Trouble silence. When Becky was younger, she had read a poem that spoke about loud silence. In this state of mind, in Arcana Cabana, where she was safe and Dave was not, silence had never been so loud.

"Can I keep them?"

"Keep what?" Veronica asked, eyebrows narrowing in confusion.

"Balthazar, I want the jeans," Becky said.

"Why do you want his trousers?" Balthazar spoke more in a tone of awe rather than perplexing one.

"They're his," Becky said quietly. "And I was thinking that I won't be able to see him for a few days, if his condition is that bad. So…"

"You don't have to explain," Veronica said hastily. She grabbed the jeans and folded them neatly. Then she handed them to Becky.

"Thanks."

"I'll need them back so I can determine the marks further," Balthazar warned her. "But you can have them, for now."

"Thanks," she repeated mechanically.

They made a bed for Becky in Arcana Cabana. Balthazar and Veronica simply added a few heavy sheets on the sofa. Becky didn't mind the lack of comfort in her makeshift bed. She placed the dried jeans under sofa, knowing that she could at least have something of Dave's.


	3. Prompt 070: Unconscious

**_A/N: _**_When I checked my e-mail this morning, it was full of story alerts, faves, and reviews. I was so grateful and happy you guys reviewed and gave me all this appreciation. Thanks a ton. The below entry was perfect for the third chapter. The Balthy 100 Challenge claims it can be any order, so I thought I should go and use prompt seventy. I'm saving prompt three for something special._

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Prompt Seventy : Unconscious

"We got a call from the doctor," Veronica said. "He said it was all right for us to come and visit."

Becky felt her hopes soar. She sensed them lifting, and tried to calm her excitement down. She didn't want any disappointments.

"Really?"

"Yes," Veronica replied. Becky was too busy glancing at her textbook, so she couldn't see the woman's expression. It was probably patient and gentle.

"We're going today, right? It's okay with the doctor?" Becky inquired.

"Yes, today. Balthazar's offered to pick us up. Although, he isn't conscious. You'll just be in the room with a sleeping Dave rather than an awake one."

That was fine with Becky. It didn't matter if he was out of commission. As long as she got to see him, his entire body and face rather than nothing at all, she was okay with it. Becky shut her textbook and slid it into her messenger bag. On cue, a sleek, black car came into view on the driveway. This was Balthazar's car, but it had been transformed to blend in with modern technology. The windows rolled down, and Balthazar told them the doors were open.

Becky decided to let Veronica into the front seat. When she got into the car, she caught a brief visual of his expression. It was sturdy and on guard. She could tell by the way his eyebrows shrugged down a little and how his eyes were as hard as rocks. His knuckles were prominently standing out due to his firm grip on the wheel. Becky considered his feelings. She didn't know what he was going through. Dave was his first apprentice.

Balthazar drove them to St. Carina's Hospital. It was the mundane, usual hospital. The only thing that stood out was a bright red slogan, _Dedicated to helping and healing since 1974. _

They checked in with the nurse and were escorted to the Dave's room. It was Room 291. A doctor was waiting at the door. He was holding a clipboard and his white coat shone under the huge hospital lights. Becky held her breath as they approached the man. He was going to deliver the news, Becky thought. Inform us about his condition.

"Hello, Mr. Blake," the doctor greeted. "I'm Dr. Connelly. We met when you brought Mr. Stutler in?"

"I remember," Balthazar replied in a formal manner. He offered his hand to Dr. Connelly and he shook it. "I hope you pass on my thanks to the staff and doctors. We appreciate for you tending to him at such a late hour."

"Of course," Dr. Connelly said. "It wasn't unusual though. We get many late night visits. I presume you're here to see David. He's right inside." He turned the knob and gestured for the group to enter.

Becky was embraced by glaring lights. She winced at the artificial sunshine. Becky had always hated hospitals, despite the good will they presented. They held patients in rooms like these, completely white with no sense of color or even a hint of joy. No pinks, no purples, no blues, no oranges. How did one put up with the fakeness of it all, while in a terrible state? Becky would've liked to paint the room for Dave. Maybe splash some on the walls to form a Tesla coil. She smiled briefly before turning to Dave.

The sight made any trace of happiness inside of her die. She did not recognize the young man on the bland bed. He had the same hair color and eye color as Dave, but looked nothing like him. A blanket was pulled up to his waist, only allowing a glimpse at the gown he was wearing. Something was attached to his nose, probably with oxygen. An IV bit into his skin. He was wrapped in tight bandages. He had quite a number of bruises too.

Bile and anger rose in Becky's throat.

"I can give you time with him," Dr. Connelly said. "He's been through some trauma, but not it wasn't life-threatening. He needs a couple of weeks to recover, however, before he can come with you."

"We understand," Veronica assured him. "Balthazar…and I would like to speak to you about his injuries and the paperwork. Could we step outside, please?"

"Certainly. Ms. Barnes, I think you would prefer to stay," Dr. Connelly stated.

"I'm okay alone," Becky said, staring at Dave and the bandages.

"When the time's up, a nurse will come and escort you," he told her gently. "Mr. Blake, Ms. Gorloisen, if you'd come with me…"

The two departed with Dr. Connelly. The door shut with a soft click. Becky quietly pulled a chair from a desk and set it next to Dave's.

"I don't know why you were out there," she began. "Or why you were alone. All I know is that you called me in the middle of the night, and warned me to get to Arcana Cabana. So thank you. I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't called." It was a lie that made her stomach churn. If Dave hadn't called, it meant he was alive or he wasn't in danger in the first place.

She ignored her own emotions and continued. "You're unconscious, which should be obvious. It's kind of silly to be talking to someone out cold, but I don't feel stupid… It's been a week since you were admitted to St. Carina's. I'm grateful. Balthazar was able to find you in the nick of time; you lost of lot of blood, Dave."

Becky stared at the pale sheets, the pale gown, the pale bandages. Too much white. Too much grief.

Again, she ignored musings. "I'm doing okay," Becky said. "I still go to college. Balthazar wouldn't let me miss my classes. Veronica either. They said I had to go on with my life and I shouldn't disrupt my routine. They made it sound like you were going to die." She swallowed. "But you're not dead; you're here, in the hospital. The recordings at the studio have been fine, but I've only been to two sessions. I can't focus on music or homework, Dave. All I think about is you. Why, when, who, how… It's getting frustrating. Balthazar can't find any leads either. He has your jeans—well, I do, but that's not the point—and they're covered with valiant marks. Dragons make them, he says."

He was still unconscious.

"Dave," Becky pronounced, drawing out the name slowly and carefully, as if it were a rain drop on her tongue. "You wouldn't believe how much I miss hearing you talk about physics." She laughed humorlessly.

"Can you hear me?" she asked suddenly. The question hung in dead silence, causing Becky to feel like a complete moron. _He's unconscious, Becky,_ she scolded herself mentally. _You can't change facts. So could you stop pretending he's awake?_

_Shut up,_ Becky thought back.

She sighed, wringing her hands. "You look horrible. I don't understand, Dave. Who would be callous enough to hurt you like this? How could they stare into your innocent face and decide it was okay to harm you? Who?"

She wasn't getting anything. Answers wouldn't dance out of thin air. She needed to wait. Patience would get her through.

Becky could be patient, but not in this situation.

"I'm getting tired of waiting for you to come around," Becky told him. "Days can turn into decades for some people."

She was met with quiet echoes.

"In case you're actually listening through some kind of unnatural means…I've got bad news," Becky said. She looked away now. Her eyes focused on a chart of the body plastered on the wall. "Balthazar, he can't find your ring. It's gone. Stolen."

She got up and walked to the large windows, carefully drawing back the curtains. A little light flooded through.

"It came as a shock," Becky murmured. She was speaking more to the glass windows than to Dave. Her reflection came back to her. Becky's eyes weren't puffy or red. She hadn't cried…yet. She had a look a despair upon her face, which barely mirrored the exhaustion and pain she was feeling inside. "Balthazar was so… He must have felt stunned or too distracted, because he didn't recall your ring till a few hours after finding you. I didn't get to hear the conversation between him and Veronica. I was at NYU."

It was still sunny outside, heavily contradicting her mood. "It doesn't make sense for Morganians to take your ring and leave you so injured. Why didn't they just knock you out, huh? Did you put up a fight? I don't think so. Balthazar said you aren't that experienced yet.

"I'm feeling all sorts of emotions, Dave. It's annoying me now. I'm not claiming this is your fault—well, it could be. You could've been at the wrong place, wrong time. Who knows? Only you do. So when you wake up from your state, I'm going to be here, demanding details. And we'll get your ring back."

Becky left the windows, not even bothering to close the curtains. She didn't sit back down, though. Balthazar and Veronica would come back, and Dr. Connelly would ask her to leave.

"I'm going to have to go. Don't get in any trouble," she added, momentarily seized by a fit of immaturity.

Becky leaned in and kissed his bandaged forehead lightly. Then she got up and went through the door.

Dr. Connelly was at the other end of the hall, discussing matters with Balthazar and Veronica. Veronica turned her head slightly and caught sight of Becky. She waved her hand, signaling for the girl to come over. Becky unwillingly moved.

"I hope your visit benefited you, Ms. Barnes," Dr. Connelly said quietly. "It's always upsetting to have a sick friend."

_But he's so much more than that,_ Becky wanted to tell him. But she kept her mouth closed and simply nodded to acknowledge his advice. Balthazar wrapped things up and they used the elevator to get to the lobby.

"He didn't wake up, did he?" Veronica asked softly when they were in the elevator.

"No. Was silent the whole time."

"I'm sorry, Becky. But he'll get better," she said, clearly trying to assure her.

"Uh-huh," Becky replied in neither a sarcastic nor believing tone. She sounded indifferent. Blank.

"We should pick up dinner and get to Arcana Cabana," Balthazar suggested. "Becky, you'll have to stay with Veronica while I search for his ring."

"Okay."

* * *

_I'm looking forward to the weekend. More updates, then, and the plotline is slowly moving towards the rising action phase._

Jem Yorke


	4. Prompt 097: Truth

_**A/N:** I was really happy to be able to write the scene where they find Dave, awake, and how the conversation is told from both POVs. I'm still impatient; I can't wait to write prompt three._

* * *

Prompt Ninety-Seven : Truth

The bell rang shrilly. Papers and books were packed into book bags and people shuffled through the door, off to whatever afterschool plans they had. Becky was one of the last in the physics classroom. She seemed to move more slowly than the rest. Her hands gingerly put things into her messenger bag, avoiding the teacher throwing her looks. She finally made it outside. Becky wasn't exactly pleased that college classes were over for the day, unlike her classmates. When she was in school, she could try to focus on the lectures, but it never entirely took off her attention from Dave. Still, it helped to have droning voices pierce whatever musings she had.

"Becky?" A confident, friendly voice entered her ears.

She looked to her right to see Andre Dunlap, a friend of hers and one for the guys at the studio. He had a solid expression of sympathy on his face. _He's probably here to ask me why I've been so off lately, _Becky thought. It seemed like she was slacking off more than ever. Becky found it impossible to fix herself on her studies or even her close companions.

"Hey, Andre." She mustered as much false enthusiasm as she could. "How's it going?"

He was thrown off by her tone, she could tell. He was entirely convinced either. "I wanted to talk to you," Andre said. "You didn't look like you were heading anywhere, so I thought we could chat; maybe for a few minutes."

"I've got time to chat," Becky replied. She checked the watch wrapped around her wrist. The skin appeared to be very pale instead of her usual peach. "Someone's waiting for me, but we can talk."

"Great. Look, Becky, some of us at the studio are worried," Andre said. He sounded too concerned for friendship, Becky thought. But she allowed him to continue. "You seem spaced-out. You don't seem to be into the music sessions anymore. Your friends are noticing it. The teachers as well. I'm trying not to pry, but I'm real worried. Does this have anything to do with Dave being in the hospital—"

Becky gasped. "How did you know he's in the hospital?" she demanded. "I didn't tell anyone!"

He looked thrown off by his question. "Hold on," Andre said, taking a different course than intended. "You mean you don't know?"

"What don't I know?" she asked angrily, trying her best to keep her voice down and her temper under control. The anger wasn't so much directed towards him, rather towards to Dave's absence.

"Becks, c'mon, I'm not trying to be mean," Andre countered. "I'll tell you the truth. There's this rumor going around mostly in the physics class and it's hitting the music studio."

"A rumor?" No way. She didn't tell anyone. Only three people knew.

"Yeah," Andre said. "Emily Peterson started it. I think she's your friend because you two hang around a lot. The studio guys asked her if she knew what was up with Becky, and she said your boyfriend was in the hospital. It kind of got out of hand, but I don't think she meant it to be spread around."

Becky's annoyance gland flexed. Emily was indeed one of her friends. She had a penchant for gossip, unfortunately, and it seemed the more juicer a story was, the more she was fascinated with it. Becky counted to ten in her mind first before speaking.

"Andre," she said through clenched teeth, "Emily has a certain thing for gossip."

He cut her off. "I know, I know," he told her. "Remember the Christmas thing?"

"Don't remind me. So, did the rumor give explicit details? Or did she just say he was in the hospital?"

"Emily says he's got a really bad injury and he'll be there for some time."

Becky sighed. "Injuries," she added. "He has more than one."

"So it's true?" Becky glared at him.

"Sorry," Andre said, not even a little abashed. She turned around. Her blonde hair covered half her face when she did, so she didn't have to see him. Good. She began walking, but he caught up with her.

"I'm sorry. Honest," he said. His expression was at least a _little_ sincere. "It's just, you're somewhere else during these past weeks. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Thanks, Andre. But if I'm being truthful, if you heard a rumor about my boyfriend in the hospital, it should be obvious I'm anything but okay," she snapped poisonously.

He was quiet for a moment, but then asked, "Want to talk about it?"

Becky exhaled sharply. It's not his fault, she reminded himself. Andre was simply trying to make sure she was okay. She had been off. But she had a good reason to be. Becky made a mental note to catch up with Emily; the girl needed to be told to stop. Although it was true that Dave was in St. Carina's, she didn't want strangers to know about it. She'd get unwanted pity as well.

"Andre, sorry for that little fit," she said. "But I'm not feeling well. Dave, he and I are really close… And he's in critical condition. Last Tuesday, one of the doctors called to alert us he had a blood transfusion. It's been stressful."

He nodded. "I understand."

"How did Emily even know?" Becky asked him, a little streak of suspicion and irritation shooting up inside of her.

"Her older sister is a nurse at Carina's," Andre explained. "She usually tells Emily about the patients." A pause. "Only the…most hurt ones."

"I see. I'm going to speak with her about that. She needs to be more quiet."

"Emily didn't mean for it to be a rumor," he said. "She didn't actually think it would get a lot of attention. Dave isn't well-known around NYU, so his privacy is safe." To someone else, that would sound like a guy assuring a girl her boyfriend's condition would be kept under wraps. To Becky, who actually knew Andre, that would mean he was hinting at Dave's low social status.

"Thanks, Andre. That means a lot." She allowed a little pent-up annoyance into her tone.

"I'm sorry about Dave. Stuff like this doesn't happen a lot," he said, oblivious to the accusation in her sentence.

It wasn't good to argue or try to put her rage on someone else. Becky controlled herself, then said, "I've got to go. Like I said, someone's waiting for me."

"Okay, but look, Becky, I want to tell you something," Andre said.

"Go ahead."

"If you ever need a friend to talk to, I'm here. Just give me a call," Andre informed her. "Illnesses always have negative consequences."

"I know, Andre. And thank you," she added, being more or less sincere. She couldn't tell him about the Morganians who attacked him, about the valiant marks found on Dave's jeans, or how Merlin's ring—an incredibly significant artifact—had been snatched. All these large and important details could only be spoken about among the fold. Becky lowered her head. She had Balthazar and Veronica. She actually didn't wish to talk to Andre or any of her friends.

"Hope you feel better. I hope Dave gets better too," he added.

"Me too." Becky began to walk once again. She ended up running outside, eventually, so she wouldn't cause Veronica to wait even more.

Veronica was sitting on a bench and holding a paperback novel in her hands. She must have appeared to be involved with her book, but Becky knew otherwise. She walked up to her and was greeted warmly.

"Sorry. A friend wanted to speak with me."

"It's quite all right. Problems like these tend to interfere with friendship and social lives," Veronica noted.

"Yep." Becky could care less about her social life right now.

"Dr. Connelly called while you were at school," Veronica said. She smiled and set down the book. "He says Dave is awake and we can see him."

Hope bloomed inside her chest, the tendrils of faint happiness touching her chest. She could almost feel the relief in the air.

"This is great!" Becky boomed. "So how is he? Okay? Worse?"

"We don't know. He didn't add any details about Dave's condition," Veronica explained. "Balthazar's at Arcana Cabana. He was very troubled today. Do you remember?"

She nodded. Balthazar and Veronica had transported her bed, as well as a bag of personal toiletries, to Arcana Cabana. She got privacy because Balthazar was always searching for Dave's ring, and Veronica was kind enough to stay in the same room, but place a distance between them at the same time. But in the morning, when she woke, Balthazar was at the counter, seriously studying the Incantus while writing something on a slip of paper. He kept stroking the paper.

"Balthazar wants us to come to Arcana Cabana first, then we'll make a trip to the hospital. I have his car. Let's go."

Becky practically threw herself in the seat. She eagerly put on the seatbelt and clasped her hands together to prevent an explosion. It felt like something was swelling inside of her, but something pleasing and exciting. Was this what someone felt like when they received excellent news? Becky almost forgot that Dave's condition could be bad, instead of good. But he was the Prime Merlinian, she reminded herself. Surely his body had some kind of magic that allowed himself to heal correctly.

"You're driving's pretty good," Becky told Veronica.

Veronica seemed surprised by the compliment. "Thank you," she said. "I'm getting more and more used to technology as the days pass. That's what I normally do when not practicing my hand at magic or checking on Balthazar."

"I can't wait to see Dave. The waiting was worth it, don't you think?"

"Calm down, Becky," Veronica cautioned her. "I know this all looks fine, but it could be something else. We never know with Morganians."

"Right. Calm." But how could one calm themselves in a situation like this?

.

.

.

Balthazar greeted them at Arcana Cabana's entrance. He wore a serious expression, but it was not as firm and stiff as when he learned about Dave's disappearance.

"Dr. Connelly has news," Becky said when she saw him. "Dave's awake; isn't that something?"

"We'll see him," Balthazar promised. "I have a number of questions to ask him. Dave's important, but he can cast magic without his ring. But we don't want any petty thieves using it for some kind of plan or selling it."

"Dear, you have something to tell us?" Veronica asked. "I know that look on your face…"

"Yes, actually. I sent a letter to a close friend of mine," Balthazar announced. "I didn't include Dave's name or his status as the Prime, but I did say my apprentice was attacked by Morganians. He says he could find a tracker for us, if his condition was that bad." His tone grew more stiffer as he spoke. Becky didn't like where this was going.

"Do we truly need a tracker?" Veronica was frowning. Another bad sign.

"A tracker is someone who tracks, right? Is that this guy does?" Becky wanted to know.

"Yes, but not in this sense," Balthazar said, not looking at Veronica. "Trackers find Morganians. Some children are actually apprenticed to become these types of trackers. They specialize in this thing; usually they go for Morganians at large. Ones who cause too much trouble and need to be gotten rid of."

"Sort of like bounty hunters," Becky compared.

"Sort of," Balthazar confirmed. "But while a majority are skilled at what they do, others are…reckless. Sleazy. I don't approve of their methods. I've only met a few trackers in my lifetime, and they did not appeal to me."

"I've never met trackers before," Veronica added. "Yet I think they are unnecessary. Well, not exactly unnecessary—just too sloppy and revealing."

"Wait one minute." Becky shut her eyes. "Balthazar is one of the most powerful sorcerers out there and he has you, Veronica, and equally powerful sorceress—"

"She's better, trust me," Balthazar murmured. "I have not forgotten about the time you unfairly threw a plasma bolt at me; didn't even have enough time to prepare a defense."

"That's because you were trying to flick a mosquito out of your eye," Veronica returned smoothly. "Continue, Becky."

"Why can't you two find the Morganians the ring? I don't want any you to get hurt, of course, but it just seems odd to bring in someone you disapprove of."

"It's not a matter of us getting hurt," Balthazar said, "it's that my friend promised us a skilled and professional tracker. Since Dave will be staying at the hospital, conscious now, you'll want to visit him. And Veronica's going to have to watch and make sure you aren't attacked by the Morganians…or the dragon, if those are truly valiant marks on his jeans. That leaves me to look for the ring as well as the Morganians. I need an extra pair of hands."

"It's been five weeks," Becky said. "And nothing has happened to me. Maybe I don't need Veronica."

Balthazar frowned on this prospect. "No, Becky. That's not a good idea. They could be waiting for an opportunity. It doesn't matter even if these people don't know where you are, they will eventually find out about us."

"Okay," Becky said, slowly assessing the complications of the matter. "But I don't think a single tracker can be a useful partner. If you're looking for possibly a band of Morganians, you'll need more helpers. Horvath's still on the loose too."

"We don't know if he was involved or not," Veronica pointed out. "But we do know Horvath himself. I can assure you he wasn't one of the attackers. It's been a short time since Morgana's been defeated, yet Horvath isn't foolish. He knows coming on would be stupid. It would be predictable as well."

"We're settling this," Balthazar said with finality. "Veronica will look after you, Becky, while the tracker and I conduct our business. My friend will make sure to send others. He assures me they are the best."

"They better be," Becky said. "I want to meet them when they arrive. I want Dave to see them too. I wouldn't want people I don't trust to go off looking for Merlin's ring."

"Neither do I," Balthazar said grimly. "We'll test them when they come." His glance flickered towards Becky's watch. "We should go to the hospital. Dave will be anxiously awaiting us."

.

.

.

Dr. Connelly was waiting outside of Dave's room, like he was when they first met him. However, his head was turned, hiding his face. Becky quickened her pace. Finally, she was a few inches away from the doctor. A small, genuine smile spread across his face.

"Hi, Dr. Connelly," she chirped. "You called. Can I see Dave?"

He looked at her. "Becky Barnes?" he recalled, a little astonished.

"Yes," she replied, confused by his stunned tone, but happy nonetheless. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," Dr. Connelly said, carefully guarding his expression. He did not let on what he was feeling, as Balthazar did when he was bothered or incredibly serious. Not like Veronica, when she was worried, and prominent creases appeared across her forehead. "You seem excited today."

"I am. I can't wait to check on Dave. You said he was awake," she reminded the doctor.

"I-I know what I told you," Dr. Connelly stammered. Balthazar and Veronica finally arrived behind her. "I have bad news," he alerted them.

"What bad news?" Becky asked quietly. Her light mood changed within an instant.

"And some good news," Dr. Connelly assured her. It didn't change his tone or her feelings either.

"Why don't you come inside," he suggested gently. Dr. Connelly opened the door and ushered them in. Becky immediately zeroed in on Dave. He was still in the bed, covered in bandages, and with bruises. They seemed less colorful than the last time she visited. Becky had kept careful track of his condition when she visited over the weeks, and was glad to see a steady rate of healing. Right now, Dave's eyes were half-closed. There was a nurse checking the monitors. She turned and smiled at Becky. Becky half-grinned, but it wasn't real.

"He's ready, doctor," the elderly nurse said warmly. "Awake, actually, but just needs a boost."

"Thank you," Dr. Connelly said, not really paying attention to her. The nurse left. He shut the door and turned to look at all of them.

"Bad news and good news, sir," Becky said, an edge to her voice.

"Yes, of course," Dr. Connelly mumbled. He rubbed his temples. "Dave woke up hours earlier and I went over to check him. He had an increasingly difficult time identifying me and the nurse. We asked him some basic questions: What's your name? How old are you?"

"What?" Becky cried. "He doesn't know who he is?"

"He had no answer to any question we asked, except for his gender. We haven't told him anything."

Balthazar's eyes widened. His eyebrows narrowed. "What's that mean? Is there a known name for that?"

"Yes," Dr. Connelly said, grimacing. "The bad news is that Dave has amnesia, specifically, post-traumatic amnesia. When he smashed face-first into that table, I believe the outcome was so great, his memories have been lost."

_But he didn't..._ Becky suddenly recalled the story Balthazar had given the staff; she scolded herself for momentarily forgetting.

It reminded her of the young man in the bed. A lump rose in her throat at the thought of Dave never remembering his first meeting with Balthazar, the defeat of Morgana, their One Republic song…

"I don't believe it," Becky said in a shaky voice. "No. It couldn't have possibly been that bad."

"Becky," Veronica said gently. Then, she turned to Dr. Connelly. "Are you sure? Positive?"

"Absolutely," he answered firmly. "I've associated with amnesiac patients before, in different varieties and ages. Dave is one of the youngest. Luckily, his amnesia is retrograde amnesia. Over time, if exposed to articles of his past, he will indeed be able to recall some memories. The cases I've had with retrograde amnesia were usually well; the patient would take time to remember, but eventually would. Dave is probably one of those patients."

"No!" Becky shouted. "He can't remember months later. He has to remember now! He's twenty-years-old, Dr. Connelly. Are you telling me he's just lost twenty years of memories?"

"Yes," he told her gravely. "He will eventually regain these memories, if exposed and allowed time. But not now."

"Can he recall the accident?" Balthazar demanded.

"We asked him about that," Dr. Connelly said. He looked at Dave. "And he could not answer."

Becky's face fell.

"I want to talk to him," she growled unexpectedly.

"Sure, Ms. Barnes. Will you two stay?" The doctor turned to stare at Balthazar and Veronica.

"No," Balthazar said emotionlessly. "Becky can speak with him while we take our time outside."

"Do you need me to stay or…?"

"No, we're fine," Veronica said, her tone kind. It did not match her expression at the moment. The two swiftly returned outside the room. Dr. Connelly remained.

"What, doctor?" Becky said quietly.

"Take it easy on him. It would be strange for young Dave here to be…greeted with such contact," he warned her.

"I'll do that."

The door shut. The eerie beeping of the monitor filled the room, ridding it of deep silence. Dave's lids sluggishly opened so he was fully awake instead of half-conscious.

Becky stared.

"Sorry," he said apologetically. It was still the same awkward voice and speech. Maybe he wasn't truly gone.

"Sorry for what?" Becky asked in a stoic tone. She never felt so relived and upset to hear his voice. To hear an amnesiac Dave, but Dave nevertheless, was a strange experience.

"I was, uh, listening the entire time," Dave admitted. He shrugged his shoulders, then winced. "Ouch," he mumbled. "Anyways, sorry about that. And sorry about your friend."

"Do you mean my friend Dave?" she asked in an inaudible voice.

"Yeah, him."

Becky smiled. "You know me, don't you? I'm sure you do."

He wrinkled his nose. "I'm not sure about that. Sorry," he said, looking stumped. "I can't remember."

"Try a little harder," she encouraged him. "I'm sure something will come to mind."

Dave shut his eyes and grounded his teeth. She felt tiny sparks of hope.

Then he opened his mouth and said, disappointed, "I don't know."

Becky and Dave were quiet. The monitor's beeping was not the only thing heard. The clock ticked off the seconds. The gentle rhythm banged against her skull.

"Hey…are you okay?" Dave asked, appearing to be a tad worried. "You're crying."

The door opened. Two heads turned to look at Veronica. She stared at Becky first, then flashed to Dave.

Her eyes flickered to Becky once more. "Let's go, sweetheart," she murmured. She moved towards her, but Becky flinched. She didn't say or do anything when Veronica's long arm wrapped around her torso and hugged her. Becky lifted her hand. Her fingertips brushed under her eye. She felt something wet there.

She opened her mouth to release a chocked, strangled cry. Veronica led her outside and helped her down the hall with Balthazar in tow while she attempted to stop the flow of tears.

.

.

.

When his eyes had opened, an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion and confusion swept over him. He struggled to get up, but the things hooked up to him didn't allow movement. He was too tired to do so efficiently, anyway. The nurse bustled in and told him to take it easy, and he'd been through a very bad accident. Dave had asked what kind. She seemed mystified at first. She called someone and then a doctor arrived. He introduced himself as Dr. Connelly. The questions poured in, slowly and quietly.

He didn't know his name and Dr. Connelly refused to tell him. He thought it wasn't fair of him to do that, but he had no knowledge about doctors. Maybe Dr. Connelly had to do that.

He had been subjected to injections, a few curious questions, and the sweet glances from the nurse. He appreciated the help he was getting, but had no idea why he was at the hospital. It was strange; he knew about hospitals and doctors but he didn't know his own name or favorite color? Impossible.

He only felt a little apprehensive about his condition, at first. But then the blonde girl had come in. He was half-awake at this time and didn't give much care to the people entering. He actually didn't pay a lot of attention to the things they'd talked about. After, Dr. Connelly had left the girl with him.

She was pretty, he thought hazily. His mind wasn't so developed due to the morphine in his body. The blonde was staring at him.

"Sorry," he said in an awkward voice.

"Sorry for what?" she asked him. She didn't sound interested and kept staring.

"I was, uh, listening the entire time," he admitted. He was going to mention how he hadn't been fully listening, just part-listening. Instead, he shrugged. It hurt to shrug. "Ouch," he said. "Anyways, sorry about that. And sorry about your friend." The way she spoke about this guy named Dave made him a little envious. He was probably a boyfriend of hers. Oh, well. Maybe when one of his friends—if he had any—came over, he could meet his girlfriend. _If_ he had a girlfriend.

"Do you mean my friend Dave?" the blonde asked in a soft voice. It was difficult to hear her.

Well, who else did he mean? Still, he wasn't going to be mean to someone he didn't know. "Yeah, him."

"You know me, don't you? I'm sure you do." She was smiling.

He was a little thrown off by that smile. "I'm not sure about that," he told her, wrinkling his nose. That hurt too. "Sorry. I can't remember."

"Try a little harder," she said nicely. "I'm sure something will come to mind."

He did try. He shut his eyes and concentrated. But blackness only came. "I don't know," he said. He wished he hadn't said that. She looked crushed.

Tears ran down her cheeks. "Hey…are you okay?" he asked her. "You're crying."

The door suddenly opened. A woman with dark hair entered and looked at them. He tried to avoid her eyes when her glance found its way to him. The woman said, "Let's go, sweetheart." Then she hugged the girl tightly. The blonde checked her face for tears. The two left.

He squirmed in the bed. Dr. Connelly came soon.

"Is everything all right? How do you feel?" He pronounced every word carefully and perfectly, like he was some idiot.

"I'm fine," he mumbled. "She's not," he quickly added.

"I know. But I'm going to help you and her," Dr. Connelly assured him.

_Help me with what? You didn't even tell me what happened to my body,_ Dave wondered numbly.

"Let me introduce you to a specialist," he said. "Mi—Meredith, will you come here, please?"

He blacked out then, but when he woke up, he replayed the conversation with the blonde in his head over and over again.

* * *

_This was fun to write, although a tad difficult. Thanks for the reviews! I can't wait to post another chater...as soon as I figure out which prompt suits me._

Jem Yorke


	5. Prompt 024: Hot Dog

Prompt Twenty-Four : Hot Dog

"Okay," Dave said, leaning back against the pillows. "My name is Dave Stutler. I'm twenty-one. Becky Barnes, the blonde, is my girlfriend. You're Balthazar Blake and you love Veronica Gorloisen. I go to school at NYU and I have a roommate named Bennet. I get all the other information you gave me. But magic and ring business? No."

Balthazar could tell by the way he set his mouth in a tight line and shook his head. He sighed. "It sounds odd, I understand," he said. "But it's true. Shall I demonstrate?"

A shrug. "If you want." He sounded like nothing would happen.

Balthazar sighed once more. So far, it hadn't been going as difficult as he thought it would be. The three of them had gotten together and decided to give Dave the details, but do it slowly and carefully. Balthazar had watched Veronica take Becky to school in the car. He went to the hospital straight after. Balthazar held a hope that when he told Dave about himself, the boy would easily remember, or come to recollect those memories over the months. Dave was accepting the mundane details, but was skeptic over magic. Mostly because Balthazar had pictures of him and Becky but not of him killing Morgana. Like he had been in the beginning.

Balthazar strode over to the desk, and with a flick of his fingers, set the entire construction on fire. He quickly got rid of it with another snap; he didn't need Dave having a heart attack. When he turned around, he saw a surprised and awed Dave.

"Believe me now?" He sat back in his chair. "You didn't believe me the first time either."

"Um, I think I believe it now," Dave gulped. But his expression changed. "However, I don't really know…about me being the Prime Meridian, I think?"

"Merlinian," corrected Balthazar. "And yes, you are indeed. It doesn't matter what you look like or feel right now. You _did_ defeat Morgana."

"The other stuff too?"

"Yes, the other stuff too," Balthazar said. He checked his watch. All right. Becky was still at the college during this time. "You aren't feeling it, are you?"

"It's not coming back to me. You may be telling the truth…but I don't feel like I did all that stuff."

Balthazar used magic to draw the curtains open and shut. Then he levitated some things on the desk. He raised his eyebrows in a bemused Dave's direction.

"Still think I'm lying, David?"

"I said you may be telling the truth," Dave protested. "Not that you were lying. Okay, so magic is real. Let's say that. Let's also say I'm the Prime Merlinian, and you didn't make some huge mistake. How would I go about conducting magic when I have amnesia?"

"You haven't come far, despite beating Morgana," Balthazar admitted. "We only practiced plasma bolts and begun on levitation. You weren't handling levitation well, but you're the Prime Merlinian, so you'll get a hang of it soon. So when you get out of the hospital, we'll go back to training from step one."

"That's all fine and good," Dave said. "But what I meant was, what if I can't?"

"Can't do magic?"

"Yeah, that. What if the Morganians did something that would prevent me from doing magic?" Dave inquired.

"No," Balthazar said firmly, grounding his teeth. "There's no spell for that, Dave. Nothing prevents people from doing magic if they've got the ability to."

"It sounds hard," Dave mused. "Magic."

"It's not. When we begin training, I'll give you my advice over again," Balthazar promised. "It'll be easier now, then before. You had many doubts and there was a lot of pressure on you as well. But with Horvath missing and Morgana dead, hopefully you'll be less dubious than previously."

"Hopefully," Dave repeated. He was looking at the windows from his bed. He didn't appear into their conversation anymore.

"How is the staff treating you?" Balthazar asked.

"Eh, just like any other regular patient," Dave replied. He ran his fingers through his hair, but this was a tad difficult to do with the IV. It was one of his nervous habits, Balthazar noted. "I met an amnesia specialist. I think I did. Dr. Connelly introduced me to someone named Meredith, but I don't remember any of the meeting. The doctor said I had an injection of medicine, so I wasn't supposed to stay conscious. He just wanted me to see her."

"I'll meet Meredith," Balthazar said. "We all will. I'll need to pick up Becky from the university soon."

"Are you sure she's my girlfriend?" Dave mumbled.

"Yes, and she'll give you the same story," Balthazar said, frowning. "No more doubts, Dave. You've had those already."

"Well it's not like you've dealt with amnesia before," Dave returned.

Balthazar decided to ignore that. "Are you sure you can't remember the Morganian attack?"

"Positive. Nothing comes to mind. I don't remember calling Becky either," Dave confirmed.

Balthazar rubbed his forehead. "You have retrograde amnesia," he told him. "I'm sure the memories will come back to your head."

"Why can't you use some spell?" Dave wanted to know.

"You think we haven't tried that?" Balthazar asked, trying not to be so sharp. "It's a matter of magic, really. There's a block in your mind that refuses to move."

"No fair," Dave whined.

"Tell me about it. With Merlin's ring gone, it doesn't help our situation…"

He could hear Dave swallow. "That's, er, my fault, right?"

"I don't know. You can't tell us what happened, so we don't know if you had a reason for being out there or you were forcibly moved," Balthazar answered. He checked his watch again. "My associate will send in trackers, but I'm not sure it will be enough… It doesn't matter. I'm forced to work with what I have."

"How many trackers?" Dave asked.

"I got a letter today," Balthazar said. "He says he has ten trackers on his list, but I don't that many here."

"How come? I thought there was strength in numbers."

"Not if those numbers include bounty hunters with a thing for cash," Balthazar murmured. "I declined his offer for ten and requested only a tight band of three or four."

"Okay. So when do I get to go home?"

"I'm taking you out of here on Thursday. You'll be in Arcana Cabana," Balthazar said. "We've changed the entire scenery to fit in a modern bedroom. There are two beds, one for Becky and one for you."

"I'm sleeping in the same room with her?" He didn't sound pleased. "But don't you think it's a little…?"

"No. I've placed a wall that will split the room, so you've got your privacy and she's got hers."

"Phew," he said, relived.

"We'll be judging the trackers," Balthazar informed him. "Including you. I'll have to see this Meredith woman as well, as you know… There will be some stiff rules when you're out of the hospital. Like, you're not going anywhere without someone watching you and you won't go far from the familiar places."

"Great," Dave said in his old tone. But he quickly turned serious. "It's not like I can remember what were my favorite places to go to. I probably won't bother to leave; I want to spend as much time as possible getting everything into my brain."

"As long as you don't harm yourself," Balthazar said. "Don't push yourself, okay, Dave?"

"I got it. Oh, didn't you say you had something for me?"

"Homework," he said, pulling out the bag from under the chair. Piles of papers and thin textbooks were inside. "And I've got a special treat for you too."

Dave only raised his eyebrows in response to this.

Balthazar showed him the Incantus. "Read it, especially the pages glowing. Those I marked. I've already explained the Incantus to you, so I suppose you won't be able to go wrong with it."

Dave released a sharp breath when he got ahold of the Incantus. "It's pretty heavy," he struggled to say. "Are you sure a hospital patient should be allowed to carry this thing?"

Balthazar rolled his eyes. "I'm sure."

.

.

.

"How did it go?" Veronica asked as Balthazar closed the distance between them. The gorgeous background did not match her mood. The sunshine and bright clouds did nothing to take away her pain while she watched Becky slug through the day.

"Let's just say it went as horrible as that man's business over there," Balthazar said, inconspicuously gesturing to a hot dog vendor. There were no lines and the seller was too absorbed with his newspaper to be caring.

"Oh." How would Becky take this?

Seeing her expression, Balthazar backpedaled. "He accepted much, but doesn't seem quite convinced he's the Prime Merlinian. I had to set a desk on fire to convince him."

"Balthazar!"

"I put it out right away. I'm not entirely theatrical."

"I can't believe you'd do that," she murmured. "Becky was so upset. What if you gave him a heart attack?" She knew there was little chance of that happening, but Dave could've been a tad astonished after the act.

"He wouldn't believe me otherwise." Balthazar looked away, suddenly fascinated with the pigeons sitting on the other sidewalk.

Veronica sensed something immediately. "You're bothered, aren't you?" she said, forming her words more into a statement rather than an inquiry.

"…Yes, but I'll…figure it out."

Veronica clutched his gloved hand and put her fingers to his cheek, slowly turning his face forward. "I won't and can't make promises, Balthazar," she whispered to him. "But David is an incredibly brave, young man. We've been through much; surely his amnesiac state will not last forever. Bad things always ended for us."

"But for Dave?" Balthazar asked.

She was quiet for a moment. Finally, she answered, "He'll be strong. For himself and for all of us."

"He doesn't remember the incident," Balthazar said softly. He stared right into her eyes. "The Morganians, what he told Becky to do. His memories are all up in smoke."

"Love, you couldn't help it," she reminded him. "You had no part in this."

His expression became less focused and serious. The hard lines melted away to reveal a sad, crumpled man. "It was my fault," Balthazar said. "I should have been there, I should have done something."

"You're taking this too far," she said, desperately trying to assure him. But how? "Balthazar, you had no idea what was going to happen to Dave."

"Merlin always protected us. Whenever we got hurt or let a few tears run, he was there with either wisdom or a handkerchief. I was not there for my own apprentice when he needed me."

Veronica couldn't respond to this. Merlin was almost like a second father to all of them. Even after Horvath betrayed them, Merlin had felt a strong sadness for a man who'd been something like a son.

"Not your fault," she said urgently.

"He'll always be chased down, Veronica," Balthazar whispered. "His entire life, probably. The Prime Merlinian is a popular target, and with Horvath on the loose… Will he ever trust me again?"

Veronica frowned deeply. "That's a fool's question, Balthazar," she said angrily. "He trusted you when you were helping him train. He trusted you during the battle between him and Morgana. You were indeed there for him. Don't you recall saving Dave from that young, dreadful man?"

A hoarse chuckle entered his throat. "Ah, Drake Stone," Balthazar said, smiling and tipping his head.

"You two have forged a tight bond over the time," Veronica said, "and I have no doubts you can do so again."

Balthazar put a hand on her arm, stroking the leather of her jacket. "Do you think I'm losing my touch?"

She shook her head fiercely. "Absolutely not."

"The old Balthazar, the one I was before getting sucked into that urn, would have been more alert and cautious. Would have given a hundred percent instead of half," Balthazar told her. "I can't find the ring or the Morganians. There was no trail left and no aura lurking around. I can't locate _anything_ and that frustrates me."

"No," Veronica heatedly disagreed. "You've been giving it your all. You've been giving not your hundred percent, but your hundred-and-fifty percent."

Balthazar smiled. "Veronica," he simply said. It sounded like an adult telling a child she had overstretched the truth. He bent down and his lips brushed her cheek.

"I think we've put that matter to rest now, correct?" she asked. She didn't wait for an answer, and instead whirled him around to face the hot dog vendor.

"The _old_ Balthazar would have been frightened to even go near these," Veronica said boldly. "I'm sure the new one would love to give it a try."

He smiled and they both walked purposefully to the vendor.


	6. Prompt 019: Coffee House

_**A/N:** Okay, so the third prompt is coming soon! Thanks for all faves and such._

* * *

Prompt Nineteen : Coffee House

"Did I like coffee?"

Becky looked up from her cup of shimmering drink, not thrown off by the question at all. "I don't know," she honestly replied. "We didn't talk about drink preferences, but you did like soda."

"Okay," Dave said. He took a sip of his coffee and grimaced. "Eh. It tastes horrible."

"I think it's like that in the beginning," Becky murmured. She went back to staring at the black abyss that was her latte. She had brought Dave to her favorite coffee shop so they could catch up. Becky still held a hope he would remember the details all at once; however, it wasn't working. Dr. Connelly told them he wouldn't recall what most foods tasted like. The only ones Dave could recognize were the foods he was fed at the hospital.

"Thanks for the coffee anyways," Dave said, shrugging. "What do you want to do?"

"I was hoping we could visit a few places," Becky said. "Places we went before. I just want you to have them in your head."

"Sure," Dave said, pleased by the idea. "Can you tell me where we usually went out for dates?"

"You came over to watch some sessions at the recording studio," Becky said. "We did homework and studied together at my place or yours. We hung out at this coffee shop and a few restaurants. We got along real well. Sometimes I saw you training with Balthazar."

"Will we see my friends too?" Dave inquired.

"Of course," Becky said, but she regretted saying these words. What if he saw how little friends he had? Becky would've not wanted for him to be disappointed or misled. But she wasn't misleading him. He did have friends.

"I still can't believe the whole thing," Dave admitted. "Arcana Cabana, the bathroom incident, Morgana…" He lowered his voice when speaking the woman's name.

"It was impossible for me to believe too," Becky told him. "I did accept it, eventually. And you took me on a steel eagle to Paris… That was pretty great."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault," Becky said with difficulty. "It was their fault. I know Balthazar will catch them soon. They're getting trackers pulled into the job too."

"When they catch them, maybe my memories can be restored," Dave said, cheering up instantly. "That's possible, isn't it?"

"Maybe," she said. She hadn't considered that solution before. It appealed to her but she knew it wouldn't happen all at once. It was going to take time and perhaps the Morganians didn't have a way to get Dave's memories back. Her shoulders slumped. Becky took a final sip of coffee and threw it out in a trash can.

"Done already?" Dave asked, raising a brow. He quickly drank all the contents of his coffee, making a face while he was at it. Becky smiled a little.

"Did you read the Incantus?"

"Yeah," Dave replied, throwing out his own emptied cup. "That thing was heavy. Balthazar didn't seem to think of it as a death threat like I did." In a quieter voice, he added, "Do I really look like that?"

"Like what?"

"I made some odd face in the Incantus… Looks weird compared to Balthazar and Morgana's picture."

She smiled again. It was hard not to when Dave was being this cute. "Hey, you were scared that time."

"I looked like a fish," he muttered.

"Fishes can be quite adorable," she pointed out.

"You must be glancing at some other fish, then," he replied. Becky shook her head, laughing a bit. She leaned over and kissed him delicately on the cheek.

"Let's go now. I've got a lot of good stops for us to make." She took his hand in hers and led him out of the booths. He followed willingly, a grin plastered on his face.

Becky would have thought something as powerful and frightening as amnesia would have more of a devastating effect on a person like Dave. But he was actually taking it less seriously than she believed he would. He was kind of behaving childishly. Not in an immature way, but in the way of a kid who hadn't seen a lot during his life. Becky felt her fingers grow cold. She knew Balthazar and Veronica must have been hurt by his condition, but she thought she was taking the heavier load. They had taken such a short time to build an even, stable relationship where they both cooperated perfectly.

Dave had held a steady crush on her for _years._ Even when there were other girls who were eager to go out with such an awkward, cute guy, she was the object of thought in his mind. Their affection for each other was almost gone altogether. They were acting like people in a beginning relationship when they had felt a level higher than that. Becky's heart clenched like a large fist. Becky was told to be positive, but she had some voice in her head sadly warn her not to get any romantic hopes up, because Dave wouldn't be getting his memories back anytime soon.

"Becky? Are you okay?" Dave asked, puncturing her musings.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. I was just thinking."

She could see his worried expression even from behind a curtain of blonde hair. It was concerned and pained. She was guilty once more. Dave could probably tell what she had been thinking about.

"I'm sorry," Dave whispered, maturity coloring his tone. Becky's eyes widened. "I would go back and change it all, if I could—I can't, though, and we have to deal with it. You can deal with it your way and I'll deal with it in my own. But please tell me if something is really bugging you; I don't want to guess every minute. And I'm sure you told me things before my amnesia."

Becky was speechless. She closed her jaw and swallowed. Then she said to him, "I'll make sure to do that. I wouldn't hide myself from you. You know that, don't you, Dave?"

"I do," he said solidly. "You do too. Thanks."

She pecked him on the forehead. "The mood's changing too quickly," she said. "We should go to our stops and then get something special for dinner."

"Sounds good," he said, breaking into a smile.

_I think for a moment he sounded like the old Dave back there,_ Becky thought in awe as they left the coffee house.

.

.

.

The doors banged shut, signaling the couple's departure. Lilith was attacked by a side view of flaming red hair. She unwittingly stumbled backwards. Her back came in contact with the thick, dirty chimney that was sprouting out of the abandoned building. She ignored the slight pain crawling up her back and leaned in to get a better glance of the two.

"Eager, aren't you?" she growled.

"I apologize," the other said absentmindedly.

"So that's the Prime Merlinian," Lilith murmured. "He looks much better than last time. Although admittedly, he was bleeding in several places last time."

"Agreed," the redhead replied. "I didn't think the girl would be with him. Where's the woman, Lilith?"

"I don't know. Probably off with the great Balthazar Blake," she answered, using a mocking tone.

"Mmm. Do you want to meet with him or shall we continue our watch?"

"No specific instructions," Lilith said. "Not like you'd follow them anyways." She snorted, an inelegant sound.

The redhead peered at the couple as they passed a street and a large shop covered them, protecting the two from the careful eyes of the associates on the rooftop.

"I've decided," she declared. "You will meet our waiting guest while I"—she threw a glance at the shop that kept the couple from view—"follow these close companions."

* * *

_All righty, possibly the most shortest chapter ever... But it is necessary. _

Jem Yorke


	7. Prompt 003: Shoes

**_A/N:_**_ It's great I can finally introduce the chapter that leads up to the trackers._

* * *

Prompt Three : Shoes

"Sorcerers have special shoes to keep them balanced," Balthazar explained. "It helps with the magic."

Dave opened the box. He took one look at the shoes and immediately began complaining.

"Balthazar," he said quietly, "I thought you said we had special shoes."

"I know what I said," Balthazar replied. "And here they are. Try them on."

"Um, wait," Dave paused. He glanced at them again. "These aren't shoes. They're a mistake from the past centuries."

Balthazar snorted. "Incorrect. This is exactly how you behaved before and you eventually got used to them."

"I didn't complain?"

"No, you did complain even after you wore them."

"Aha," Dave said. "That means I have good judgment."

"It means you like to whine," Balthazar growled. "Now put them on. We have to begin. We're going to have to meet the trackers soon."

"Those guys," Dave mused. "With any hope, they'll be good." He made a face when looking at the shoes again. But he sat down on the stairs and put them on like Balthazar ordered. He got up and took a few steps in them.

"It's fine," Balthazar said. "You'll get used to them again."

"No I won't," Dave grumbled. He didn't argue any further and made his way to Merlin's Circle in the middle of the lab. Balthazar had already explained the basics and how it would work. His speech was similar to the first one he ever gave.

"We're just going to be trying plasma bolts today," Balthazar said. "It's simple, a good offense for one sole enemy, but we use fire for a group. Right now we'll try plasma bolts. Not the best, but it'll work in practically any situation."

"Just clear my mind? No thoughts?"

"Uh-huh."

"Are you sure? Because if what Veronica told me last time was true…"

"What did she say?"

"She said I wore an umpire uniform," Dave deadpanned. "Complete with the helmet and everything."

Balthazar chuckled. "Yes, but you needed that. You'll be better…this time. Amnesia doesn't take away the ability to perform spells."

"Yeah, sure," Dave muttered sarcastically. He stood up erectly. "I'm ready."

"Empty your mind of those thoughts and try to conjure a plasma bolt. Then I throw one at you and—"

A bright blue spark darted across the short space between them. Balthazar had only a second to duck sideways. The blue smashed into the wall, leaving behind a scorch mark. Balthazar turned to Dave, glaring.

"What do you do that for?" he demanded.

"I said I was ready!"

"I didn't say you could begin," Balthazar pointed out sourly. "You didn't even bother to wait. What if you injured someone?"

"You being Balthazar Blake, I kind of expected everything to be all right…"

"It doesn't matter," Balthazar said. "Next time, wait until I say you can go."

"Fine. Jeez."

"Okay, _now_ you try it."

The plasma bolt matured in Dave's hands and then he released it towards Balthazar. The attack wasn't as quick as last time. Balthazar was able to get ahold of the plasma bolt and let it waste away. The bits of magic shimmered and then died out.

It was too quick, he thought. During their first training session, it took light years just for Dave to make one decent plasma bolt. And now he was easily conjuring them like he was a master. It wasn't reasonable. Dave should've lost all knowledge of magic and how it worked. Yet here he was, still as well as the previous Dave.

"Was it hard?" Balthazar asked.

"No. When you said it didn't require much effort, I thought you were just saying that. But it's pretty simple," Dave admitted. Blue sparks grew in his hands and swirled around to create a little ball of magic. It stayed. Dave watched with some curiosity. His arms went to his sides and the plasma bolt died out.

"So I don't really need the ring, do I?" Dave asked.

With some difficultly, Balthazar answered, "Yes, you don't actually need it. But's it a symbol, Dave. You need it for yourself. Merlin would've wanted you to wear it. Think of it as a heirloom."

"A heirloom," Dave repeated. "Will the Morganians try to destroy it?"

"You can't destroy a ring, Dave. You might be able to lose it and shatter the gems inside, but the potential magic and charms in there will never be gone."

Dave nodded. "What if they try to sell it?"

"Then we'll have to get it back," Balthazar said. He waved his hand. "Stop asking questions. We need to meet with our trackers soon and I want to make sure you know at least a few things."

"I know how to make a plasma bolt," Dave pointed out.

"Yes, you do. But now you need to know how to make a shield."

"Did we learn that?" he asked, a worried expression forming on his face. "How much did we learn exactly?"

"Plasma bolts, a simple shield, and we were beginning levitation. No worries, though. You weren't even mastering levitation."

"How do we make a shield?" Dave asked.

"Clear your mind, no thoughts," Balthazar said dismissively. "Same old thing. It's just like a plasma bolt except with less substance."

"Okay." The lines across his forehead disappeared.

"Balthazar? Come here, will you, love?" Veronica called from the top of the stairs.

Balthazar was surprised to see her there. They'd agreed she keep a heavy eye on Becky.

"I'll be right back," he said. "Keep it up with the shields."

Balthazar hurried to the stairs and met with Veronica. She was holding a black bag. She opened the door and led him outside.

"Becky here with you?" he asked.

"Yes; she's waiting," Veronica murmured. "But don't worry, nothing will happen to her. I wanted to speak with you about something."

"You can tell me anything."

"We've gotten a notebook for David," Veronica said. "He'll write about his days in there. It'll keep track of his memories and such. Dr. Connelly recommended it for him."

"That's a good idea. I'll give it to him." She handed him the bag.

"There's something else, right?"

"Right," Veronica said. She sighed. "I couldn't help but overhear the conversation. How is training going so far?"

"It's going superb, actually. Sure, he almost hit me with a plasma bolt, but it came quick," Balthazar said. "That's excellent progress."

"My problem exactly," Veronica said. "Do you find it odd he can master these spells so swiftly again? He never got it perfectly during the first training session."

"I know," Balthazar agreed. "But he's the Prime Merlinian. It should come naturally. Not only that, he's done it before. Amnesia doesn't erase that. He's had previous experience with it."

"I understand what you're saying. It makes sense." She bit her bottom lip. "But it doesn't make me feel any better."

He mumbled something incoherent. "Difficult on all of us, I know," he responded. "What time will the trackers come again?"

"Twelve. I know you haven't forgotten," she said.

"I haven't, Veronica. Becky can come—"

"Um, Balthazar, I think there's fire!" Dave's voice rang out.

"Oh, Lord," he exclaimed. "Dave's set something on fire, I swear it." He left Veronica in the corridor and bounded down the stairs. Only when he lifted his head did he see the impeccable damage Dave had inflicted upon a nearby desk.

"Dave!" he shouted, furious.

"It's not my fault!" Dave shot back. "I was already done with the shield and it was pretty boring—"

"Doesn't mean you can make fire, Dave," Balthazar snapped. "How did you do it anyways?"

"The fire or the shield?"

"The _fire_, Dave, the _fire_," Balthazar said, annoyed.

"It just happened, Balthazar," Dave admitted, offering up his palms in a surrender. "After I finished making a shield, I was wondering about the fire and then, it, uh, happened."

"Would any of you gentlemen care to put _out_ the flames eating the poor desk?" They both turned around to see Veronica, standing a few inches away from the flames. The inferno leaped out and flickered like an untamed tiger. With a steady hand and a ring, Veronica extinguished the fire with a casual wave. The red and orange swayed to the side altogether and immediately disappeared, as if they were bits of sand.

"I'm sorry, Veronica," Dave said, blush on his face. He was clearly ashamed and or embarrassed. "It, er, just happened."

"So I've heard," she said, but a teasing tone had entered. "I suppose you two can continue this later. Our guests will be arriving soon."

Dave perked up. "I heard about that. Are they coming here or…?"

"They're getting here by train," Balthazar said. "We're going to meet them at the train station and bring them to Arcana Cabana."

"Is Becky going to come?"

"She'll be accompanying us," Veronica said. "I wouldn't leave her alone."

Balthazar peered at the bag, suddenly remembering it. "Becky and Veronica were kind enough to get you a notebook. It's for updates on your days. Dr. Connelly suggested it would be good for you."

"I wouldn't go against doctor's orders," Dave said. He pulled out the notebook and inspected the cover. "It's nice. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Veronica said absentmindedly. "Come, let's get going towards the train station."

Balthazar watched Dave tuck the notebook under his arms and run up the stairs. He smiled at Becky, who poked her head in through the door. They began talking quietly. Balthazar turned to Veronica to tell her they should go, but found her staring at the black mark on the wall.

"What is this?" she asked. "I never noticed it before."

"Dave did it," Balthazar sighed. "Didn't bother to wait for me to let him make a plasma bolt. He went right ahead and shot it at me."

"Thank goodness I wasn't training with him," Veronica murmured.

He chuckled. "We should get a move on. The trackers will be waiting."

"You mean the cannibals will be waiting," Veronica corrected as they went up the steps.

* * *

_Can anyone else picture Dave setting a desk on fire by accident? I can. Until next time._

Jem Yorke


	8. Prompt 030: Peace

Prompt Thirty : Peace

When they approached the trains, Dave felt an overwhelming feeling of recognition. The smell of light smoke, the concrete blackened with chewing gum, and unsanitary benches brought great emotion to his veins. He could feel himself sitting in those filthy benches while watching the trains race by with unearthly speed. He could feel himself on the train seat or holding on to the pole as the machine went underground, passing hard walls of concrete. But disappointment finally settled in. Dave could feel much, but he didn't have any memories of the subway.

No one was waiting for the trains. They were the only people there. Dave decided not to think so much about the trackers and instead glanced at his associates. Balthazar and Veronica were standing closely next to each other. Becky was clutching the thick strap of her purple bag.

"Hey," he suddenly said. "You're wearing your grandmother's bracelet."

Surprise flitted across her face. "You noticed," she said, approval shining in her voice. "That's great."

"You were almost mugged at a train station," murmured Balthazar. "Except it was more comic than anything, Dave."

"Really? What happened?"

"You ran after the guy who stole my bracelet," Becky said, "and then you got it back by magic. But you told me you beat him up or something like that; you called yourself "Thunder and Lightning" as well."

"Now that," Dave mumbled, "I am glad I forgot. Doesn't help you brought it out again."

She grinned. "I can't believe it slipped my mind to tell you that story."

Before Dave could respond, Veronica alerted, "The train's stopping."

The silver, huge car paused on the tracks. The doors slid open. A few people walked out, but they were only normal civilians. Finally, all them left the train. No one came forward to greet them. Not a single person.

"Balthazar," Dave said, suddenly worried. "Is this the right train?"

"It is," he said. Becky offered her watch and he glanced at it. "This is the correct time as well, however…"

"Hold on," Veronica said.

As if on cue, the doors began to slide closed. Dave couldn't help but feel let down. He almost looked away, but then he caught sight of a hand darting out and holding them open. The doors reluctantly moved apart for the person. Dave craned his neck because Balthazar and Veronica began taking up his view. He could see a couple of heads walk out of the train. They're were exactly five of them and they were shroud in black and white, except for a short girl that had splashes of blue on her clothes.

They didn't look like trackers, save for their dark, glum outfits—the small girl excluded. There were only two females, and the first had dirty blonde hair and telltale signs of laugh lines while the tiny girl appeared to painfully skinny. There were three males. One had golden hair and appeared to be around his early twenties. The second one was auburn, of normal height, and wore an annoyed expression on his face. The tallest of the entire group was pale-skinned and had long black hair held in place by a simple band. Glasses were perched upon his crooked nose. Altogether, they looked like an odd bunch. A single person walked purposefully away from them, but he was indeed with the group.

This man approached Balthazar with a smile. "Old friend," he greeted. "It's been some time."

"It has been indeed," Balthazar chuckled. "I would have visited you and your wife if I had time, but as you can see, I've got a full plate."

"I understand," the man said, still grinning. "Here are the trackers. I found the best on my list. And I have a short list. They might look unprofessional or different, but I assure you, they can assist you greatly."

"Thank you, Benjamin," Balthazar said genuinely. "I truly appreciate you efforts."

Benjamin pat Balthazar on the back, smiling even more so. He turned his sights on Veronica and maintained a polite, firm expression.

"Ah, and this must be Veronica," Benjamin said. "Balthazar took a large amount of time describing you to me. Now I can see why." He tipped his head respectfully. Veronica smiled and held out her hand.

"Thank you for bringing these trackers for us," she said, laughing a little. "I'll be sure to visit you with Balthazar."

"Nelly would appreciate that," Benjamin noted. "Oh, let me introduce your trackers."

Dave noticed that the entire group had been quiet during the exchange. He felt queasy now. He didn't like the looks of them and couldn't imagine them finding Merlin's ring.

"This is Jocelyn, her daughter Ilana, Ezra, Sterling, and Percival," Benjamin said, gesturing to them individually. Ilana gave a stiff smile while Percival's was kind. The rest just nodded indifferently.

"Balthazar Blake," Balthazar introduced. "This is my companion Veronica and my apprentice Dave. Becky here is his girlfriend."

"What?" Benjamin asked, raising a brow. "You mean, you two aren't…? You haven't…?"

"No," Balthazar said quickly. "But I'm getting there."

"I have to now," Benjamin interjected. "Sorry to cut the reunion short."

"Many thanks, again," Balthazar said as his friend walked away.

"Goodbye, Balthazar!" he called. "I'll be sure to contact you again—Nelly can chat with Veronica!"

He boarded the next train, sped off, and left them alone with the stranger trackers. Dave avoided contact with their eyes and chose to stare at the threads of their outfits. It was Balthazar who stepped forward.

"I'd like to thank you for coming on such short notice," he said. Something in Veronica's expression shifted, but it was gone within an instant.

"No trouble," the one named Ezra replied. "It's not like we had any other business to attend to." A snort from Sterling and a glare from Jocelyn followed.

"We'd like to discuss matters at Arcana Cabana," Balthazar said slowly.

"What is that? Safety issues, Mr. Blake."

"It's my antique shop," Balthazar said shortly. "We made sure it was guarded by charms and such. There, we can sit down and explain."

"Great. We haven't been able to rest in quite some time," Ezra said, not releasing the tension that surrounded him. He didn't look as relieved as he sounded.

"My car is parked below," Balthazar said. He extended a hand. "Come."

.

.

.

When they entered Arcana Cabana, Veronica summoned chairs for the trackers. The desk was levitated forward along with four more seats for themselves. Dave believed she was only doing it out her dignified politeness. And perhaps because these were the guys who were going to help.

"My apprentice, Dave, called Becky weeks ago," Balthazar said. Dave lowered his head; he could feel the trackers staring at him. "He told her to hurry to Arcana Cabana. It was obvious her safety was his first priority. Becky got the advice and finally reached my shop. She contacted me after she made sure she was secured. After telling me what she heard, I sent Veronica to watch after her while I attempted to search for Dave.

"Unfortunately, I found him in a severe condition. He was in Bowling Green, bleeding and cold from the snow. I brought him to the hospital. St. Carina's was the closest place and I hadn't healed anyone or anything in such a long time. It was the most rational decision. I sold a fake story to the doctor watching him. When we visited him on the day he was actually conscious, we learned some very difficult news."

"Amnesia," Becky said softly. "Doesn't recall a thing."

"We bought him a notebook to write down everything so it might help with the progression of his memories," Veronica explained. "But it's all we can do right now. We aren't quite sure if a spell did this to him or if it was his injuries. Using a mind spell requires a lot of patience and skill, and the Morganians who attacked him appear to be regulars who just came across him. We don't know of their identities."

"Couldn't you go back in time or something?" a shy voice asked. Dave looked up. It was Ilana, Jocelyn's daughter. Her mother scowled a little, but didn't say anything.

"It was alter the entire timeline and has devastating consequences," Balthazar sighed. "We would if we could…but it's just too impossible. Time travel isn't actually a great spell to have around if we can't use it ninety-nine percent of the time."

"Oh," Ilana said, sounding a tad let down.

"Valiant marks," Becky murmured quietly. Balthazar and Veronica immediately turned their heads.

"What was that?" Ezra said.

"Valiant marks," Veronica answered. "We, er, found some of these marks on his trousers. It could be an infant dragon, but dragons, well, are supposed to be extinct."

"We don't know for sure, Miss," Ezra pointed out. "Could be a dragon, could be something resembling valiant marks. Maybe the Morganians wanted to scare the people in charge of him."

Balthazar changed the subject. "Where will you sleep and eat?"

"We've already reserved spots at a hotel," Ezra said. "So don't worry about us. We also brought our travel bags and necessities. All we need is notified information. When do we begin tracking?"

"It depends on how many will be coming," Balthazar said curtly. "Are you all participating? Because Ilana here looks a little young for this job."

"She isn't going anywhere," Jocelyn threw in. "Ilana will stay at the hotel or look about, but no farther than our known destinations. She's only eighteen."

"Mom," Ilana said, blushing.

"If you're done," Ezra said coolly. He turned to Balthazar. "It'll be me, Sterling, Percival, and Jocelyn. Ilana has to stay home. Sorry, Ilana."

"Not your fault," she sighed.

"We're going to start tomorrow," Balthazar said. "It'll be the weekend tomorrow."

"Perfect," Ezra said. "Ilana, how does hanging around with Becky and Dave sound?"

"Could I?" Ilana sent a look towards Balthazar and Veronica.

"If you don't mind staying with an old woman," Veronica replied, smiling. "Jocelyn…?"

"It won't be a problem as long as no magic is involved," Jocelyn said sternly.

"We'll try to keep it down," Veronica said. "I believe magic will only be necessary if someone decides to break into Arcana Cabana; which would be quite hard to execute."

"All right, then," Jocelyn murmured.

"We need to get going to our hotel," Ezra broke in. "But we'll meet up with you tomorrow at six?"

"It sounds fine with me."

.

.

.

Balthazar quietly walked up to the private room he created in Arcana Cabana. It was hidden from Dave and Becky, as well as the others. It could only be detected by Veronica and him. Exactly the way he wanted it to be. Balthazar opened the door softly as not to wake up the sleeping children in the other room. It would be impossible to explain things if they found a half-naked Balthazar Blake creeping into a room. Although he wasn't particularly creeping…

Balthazar smiled when he saw the woman standing there. Veronica's dark hair hung all the way down her back, free of any ponytail holders, hair clips, or buns. Veronica rarely let her hair down these days. But when he saw her now, he felt the pure emotion of love burning brighter than before. His heart was on fire. She looked so young, so healthy. Like she hadn't been stuck in a horrible magical doll for centuries.

Veronica walked over and pulled him in. She shut the door with a click and then turned on him.

"Thinking again?"

"Thinking about how beautiful you are," he replied smoothly. She didn't blush, but smiled, lighting up her entire face. She appeared to be pleased and delighted at the same time.

"Be careful," she whispered. "I don't want to wake up either of them."

"Imagine the looks upon their faces," he muttered.

"Are you dry?" she asked. "I don't need any water on the bed or pillows."

He chuckled. "I dried up in the bathroom. My hair always looks so raggedy, love." Veronica gently touched a few tendrils of his gray-black hair, smiling again.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "You're good all the same. Come with me."

He did.

"We haven't been with one another in so long," Veronica murmured. "We need alone time, Balthazar. It's going to be hard to get that what with Dave's condition."

"He's gained a hefty amount of amnesia, it's true. But right now, it would be lovely if we could just put that trouble away."

"Agreed."

"There's something I've been wanting to...ask you," Balthazar said softly. "Yet it's not appropriate for now."

"I'll be waiting for you to ask what you need to," Veronica returned, grinning. In the back of her mind she thought she already knew.

They wound up spending the night with one another, a perfectly blissful night that was interrupted by neither Morganians nor sleeping college students. Balthazar and Veronica enjoyed, for the first time since Dave's amnesiac episode, a moment of peace.


	9. Prompt 016: Vegetarian

Prompt Sixteen : Vegetarian

Dave looked down to his polished sorcerer shoes. He frowned when he saw the laces and color of the shoes Balthazar had forced him to wear. The little glitch on his face added to his anxiety. Becky could sense the extra worry roll off of him in waves.

"That worried, Dave?" Becky asked.

"Yes," he answered honestly. "I don't know what I'm going to tell him or say to him. It's going to be awkward."

She ducked his statement, which was all too true. Instead, she said, "You look fine. Spick and span."

He looked organized and neat, she could offer him that, at least. This prompted her to gaze at her own clothes; she'd chosen a simple blouse and jeans. She wasn't sure what to wear, unlike so many other situations in her life. Becky scowled at the frown that laced her lips. She turned away from Arcana Cabana's mirror, reminding herself this was probably enchanted to make people seem more worried than they really were.

Becky and Dave were left with the only option of residing in Arcana Cabana until everyone could be assured of their welfare. They stuck with Veronica at all times. Today was a Saturday, so they both thought they'd stay at the antique shop and just spend a little time together. It would be wonderful, Becky had thought in the morning, to be with Dave only. Of course, it hadn't worked out that way. Dave's father had rung him after breakfast, upset and furious. After some sorting out, Derrick Stutler was convinced not to panic entirely, and to meet them for lunch for details.

Dave had been fretting ever since. She couldn't blame him. Obviously he was under pressure. Amnesiac seeing his dad. That would not go over well. Becky couldn't even help him with personality points; she'd never met Derrick in all her life. If only Dave had bothered to introduce her to him prior to the memory loss episode. Then she would know what to expect.

"I don't look fine," Dave said, shifting from foot to foot. "I look like I have disheveled hair and I haven't seen a familiar thing in months."

"It hasn't been a month," Becky said. She paused. Actually, it had been a month, including his time in the hospital.

"We have to go. I don't want to be late."

The curtains rattled and Veronica appeared. Her hair was a tad messy and she looked like she missed some hours of sleep last night.

"Veronica?" Becky asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry," she said hastily. "I dozed off somewhere in our room… Dave, Becky, are you two going somewhere?" Veronica's eyes darted up and down their unloose wear.

"Derrick wanted to see us for lunch," Becky explained. "We have to explain everything to him or else he'll take Dave back to his place in Miami." She sounded rushed. What time was it anyways?

"He's really going to do that?" Veronica wondered as she rubbed her cheek with one hand while the other was holding her up against the door frame.

"I don't _think_ so," Dave said, checking the soles of his sorcerer shoes. "Actually, he didn't dwell into it more, so I wouldn't be sure."

"Sorry," Becky said apologetically, glancing at Veronica's appearance. "We should have told you but we were busy with ourselves. Veronica, do you suppose anyone will attack us? It's not likely; I mean, no one's bothered us for days now."

"I have to go," Veronica insisted. "You just don't know with stranger Morganians. I'll drive you there and change the car's image. I'll watch without bothering anyone. Won't notice a thing."

"She has to come," Dave pointed out. "It won't matter; no one will see the car."

.

.

.

The car honked its horn noisily as the Grand Cherokee lurched forward, nearly smashing into the smaller, redder vehicle. Complaints could be heard from him, going on about the reckless driver and how the light hadn't even turned green yet. The jeep's tires turned on the road, almost turning the bulk concrete to melted substance.

"Jesus, Lilith, could you have stolen a more masculine car?"

"Shut up. This was the only one I could find. You'd think there would be more options in New York." A sharp turn brought her friend in the passenger seat against the window.

"Whoa." Lilith threw a glance at her. "I didn't mean for _that_ to happen."

"The more bruises the better," her companion replied.

"So let's review what we know," Lilith suggested. She licked her bottom lip nervously as she said this. "David is Prime, which should be obvious to everyone in this jeep—"

"If it were obvious, Lilith, then you shouldn't have said it."

Lilith did not break her stride. "Rebecca, or commonly known as Becky, is the girlfriend. Balthazar is gone. I don't know where he's went, which is always reassuring… But we've been careful not to leave anything behind. So that's cleared up."

"You sure we have the right car?"

"Yes, there's barely any traffic."

"Who's going to watch this time?"

Lilith raised an eyebrow. "That's odd. I thought you would've taken the job."

"Why would you think that?" her friend asked, some of the words breaking off. Unlike her.

"Because you've been jumping at the opportunities. We always do the jobs together like _he_ wanted, and when we've got to separate, you don't oppose the idea of doing it by yourself."

Silence.

"Adelaide?"

"Keep your eyes on the road," were her only words for the rest of the ride.

.

.

.

Derrick Stutler could be easily found at the café. There were a few people there, and out of all of them, the man checking his watch resembled Dave the most. He had the same light skin and features, but his eyes looked like they would always be filled with worry. His hair was the exact color of Dave's curls yet it was slicked back by an impressive amount of hair gel. Derrick was lean and tall, dressed in crisp clothes.

He glanced at them and then recognition set in his eyes.

"David," he said, sounding relieved. His expression and tone suddenly changed. "Why haven't I been called in the past weeks?"

"Mr. Stutler, I think we should sit down first…" Becky trailed off, gesturing to an empty table. Derrick sat down. Dave took the chair next to Becky.

"I'm Becky Barnes," she introduced herself, "Dave's girlfriend."

"Hello," he said. "I'm Derrick. Call me Derrick if you'd like."

"Is there anything you would like to know…?"

"I already know he's amnesiac," Derrick said, frowning. "But he remembers physics and literature, things like that?"

"Exactly. Dr. Connelly, Dave's doctor, said that his memories might come back if we encourage them or by themselves," Becky said. She snuck a glance at Dave. He was looking at the table.

Derrick didn't seem to be paying attention to her entirely. "Why wasn't I informed if this was so important?" he asked, glaring at no one in particular.

This was her first time meeting him and it was going downhill fast.

"I'm sorry," Becky said. "It's just that I've never met you before. Dave hasn't mentioned you either; so I didn't have your cell number or any way to contact you. Dave, well, Dave can't call anyone when he can't remember, can he?" She tried to lower her voice but knew there were slim chances of him missing what she said.

Derrick slightly relaxed. "It's been frustrating," he sighed. "I hope you understand. My assistant, Meg, sent an email to you, David, while I was out. That's how we usually contact one another. For two days we didn't get anything back. We continued to send emails, but then something came up. Meg thought it was some college phase and we decided to leave it alone for a while. But you weren't answering my calls until this morning. I had to come into town and see what was the problem."

Dave looked abashed. "Oops. Well, don't worry. I'll check my email from now on. Didn't even know I had an email account…"

"I'll help you with it later," Becky promised.

"Thank you, Becky," Derrick said. "I really didn't want to meet you this way; I hope it didn't spoil anything between you and me."

"I'm all right. It's just a little something that needed to be cleared up."

"I really will check my email," Dave repeated.

"I believe you, David." A pause. "You should really try the food here. It's very nice."

"You've eaten here before?" Dave asked.

"We did, the both of us. It was only one time, but I remember actually eating the Italian stuff."

Dave smiled a little. "I'd like to try it then."

It was a good lunch that went by gently in time and was not hurt by bad words. Becky was nervous at first, as was Dave, but as they talked little by little, the tension eased and confidence was welcomed. But there was something that bothered Becky during the lunch, something so idle and mundane it was almost immature of her to even be bugged by it.

"Do you feel good?" Becky had asked Dave quietly when their orders came. She wasn't feeling so hungry but ordered anyways. Dave had only gotten a small dish of salad.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I?" He had seemed genuinely surprised by her question.

"It's just that you didn't order anything but salad."

"I don't want any meat, to be honest," Dave had admitted to her.

"Oh," she'd said.

Becky thought about this little interaction while in the car with Veronica. After Derrick handed her the cell number, email address, and pager of his, they'd been picked up. Dave had commented, jokingly claiming that he should consider being a vegetarian. It was completely out of the norm for Dave because he wasn't a vegetarian. It didn't make sense for him to be one now.

Maybe there was a spell for destroying vegetables. Becky would have to ask Balthazar about that.

* * *

_Pfft...destroying vegetables. As if there would be a spell for that. Humor comes up in the strangest forms. I thought it would be nice, also, to include those two young ladies in the middle. When was the last time I wrote about them? Probably some prompts back, but I still felt like they needed to be included._

Jem Yorke


	10. Prompt 014: Stew

_**A/N: **The next scene will be much, much later into the story. After that, it'll resume to where it was after this prompt._

* * *

Prompt Fourteen : Stew

Balthazar Blake had been through a lot and it wasn't even eight yet. He trudged through the streets until he finally found his way to Arcana Cabana's doors. He pushed them open and slid in, wincing as his shoulder ached with the motion. Balthazar was planning to just get to Arcana Cabana when his tracking was over, slip into bed, and get the Incantus for a read. But when he entered he smelled a large scent wafting from the second floor. Balthazar's immediate thought was Veronica. Curiosity brought him up the stairs and past their hidden room, a place he would very much like to be.

He was surprised to find Veronica at the desk, her sleeves rolled up and a plain white apron on. Balthazar could see an oven and a pot when he craned his neck. It was odd and out-of-place. Not for Veronica, the woman who had learned to cook at only eleven-years-old. It just didn't seem possible for Arcana Cabana to have any household items. Balthazar shimmied to her side in wonder, but was kept away by the loaded smell of spices and radish.

"Hello, love. I imagine things went badly today?" she asked as she pecked his cheek. It was a quick yet affectionate gesture. Balthazar shot a glare at the chopped carrots on the cutting board; these were the loathsome obstacles distracting Veronica from a real kiss.

Balthazar aimed for the polite approach. "Yes, badly," he sighed. "But what would one expect when they're prying around with trackers?"

"Cannibals," Veronica murmured darkly. In a louder voice, she added, "I'm sorry. My day went rather predictably. Except for the part where Dave's father arrived, of course."

"Father?" Balthazar repeated, his eyebrows flying up in a stunned expression. "I wasn't aware of his father."

"Neither was I," Veronica mused. "Yes, he did show up today. First there was a call addressed to Dave. He didn't recognize the person due to his unfortunate amnesia, but Becky was able to sort things out. I drove them to this little café and watched after transforming the image. They talked a bit and ate some food. It was actually normal for them."

"What was the issue? Nothing serious, I hope."

"Nothing serious," Veronica answered, nodding. "That's it. Derrick Stutler just wanted to know why he wasn't emailing or calling back. The solution popped up easily."

"Well, I'm thankful for _that_," Balthazar said, levitating an armchair over. He sunk in, grateful it was made of a plush fabric. His nerves required something soft and gentle. Veronica would have happily supplied but she was too involved with her cooking. "It wouldn't have helped us to have another problem on our hands. At least Dave could have a peaceful afternoon."

Even from behind, he could sense his love's alert gaze.

"I was going to ask you about that, Balthazar," Veronica said. She went over to the oven and checked temperatures. Satisfied, she hurried back to the chopping board. "You look out of sorts. I've never been with trackers before but I know enough of them to positively say that an irritating occurrence came up."

"Of course it did." He sighed once more. "Trackers are probably one of the things we ought to get rid of."

"Tell me what happened."

Balthazar didn't hesitate. "We got up early to start the tracking," he said. "It was all pretty basic and prepared. Everyone knows what to do when you're going to track."

"Check the targeted areas of traces of magic, anything odd, and examine objects for any indication of sorcerers," Veronica said, checking off everything from the list. "Continue."

"I made sure our trackers were there; everyone except for Ilana, because according to her mother, she isn't supposed to be tracking," Balthazar said. "We began in the park where Dave was attacked. I didn't think we'd get any leads. The magic that's been left behind is almost gone by now because so much time passed. When I first got there, it was heavily loaded with magic. Not even that helped, the magic wouldn't lead me to any other location holding magic. Anyways…we got there and began assessing the place."

"Ah, assessing."

"Yes. Use of the modern word," Balthazar replied. "Ezra, the head, was able to find the thinnest strands of magic in the area. Not a huge accomplishment, but it was a little useful. You see, these threads of magic were tinted with a little bit of dragon essence."

Veronica stopped chopping. "So there was a dragon involved," she said slowly.

"Apparently, one isn't extinct. Which is now another problem because I've got to look out for stray dragons," Balthazar murmured.

"Balthazar, I think you're exaggerating a bit. It was a baby dragon that left valiant marks on Dave's jeans," Veronica reminded him. "Not a large, adult dragon. Baby dragons usually get themselves killed, you know that."

"True, true," Balthazar said. "A dragon still enough. As I was saying, Ezra thought that the baby dragon could be tempted into coming out of hiding. Sterling had a hunch it hadn't been trained properly because the threads connecting the magic and dragon essence were twitching. We all checked the surrounding areas…and then Sterling thought he saw something. I didn't think it could be anything. No Morganian is _that_ stupid to reveal themselves. I was correct, because it was simply a dog. It's quite unfortunate we didn't find out until I was attacked by it."

A gasp escaped Veronica's lips. "A dog came at you?"

"It was a pretty good shot, I'll admit," Balthazar said. He shrugged out of his coat, flinching every now and then at the slight pain. The coat came off and fell to the floor. Balthazar showed her the cut fabric of his long sleeved shirt and the wounds. It wasn't much, but the dog did a number on his left arm.

"You didn't heal it?" she asked, frowning as she stared at the cuts.

"I didn't have any time. After the dog attack we decided to peer in further… That got us nowhere, although a fight almost erupted between Sterling and Ezra."

"What were they arguing about?"

"I actually don't know. Sterling has an attitude problem. His mouth could've gotten him in trouble. It was like being in between little kids. Embarrassing." Balthazar shook his head in disdain.

Veronica healed his shoulder in no time. She rubbed his skin softly to make sure her touch was just as good as it had been centuries ago.

"Thank you," Balthazar said. "It's been a long Saturday for me, and I didn't have any time to enjoy it."

"I don't think watching Dave do his homework and Becky stare into space is much to enjoy, Balthazar."

"Eh, I know things here aren't as entertaining. Especially since I have no spare time for Dave's training... Did you say Becky stared off into space?"

"I thought everyone was aware of her slight depression. Everyone but Dave, although I suppose it's good if he isn't in the know," Veronica said.

"I guess so… Veronica, what on earth are you cooking?" He sniffed once again, only to be greeted by more heavier smells of pepper. He wrinkled his nose, regretting the action.

"Stew," she said in a surprised voice. "Like I used to do back when we were younger."

"Doesn't smell like stew…it smells dangerous."

"It's like that," Veronica said, shrugging. "But the taste will be delicious."

"I bet it will be," Balthazar said, only because there was nothing else much to say. Especially if Veronica was almost done preparing stew.

"Do you remember that night? The day when the trackers came?" she questioned as she poked around the oven.

"Yes…"

"I'm getting impatient," she told him truthfully. "I want to know what you were going to ask me."

"Curiosity killed the cat," was Balthazar's reply.

"I'm not a cat, Balthazar," Veronica pointed out.

"I don't know if this is the right time… There are a lot of things that have to be done. And it could be the wrong moment to ask… So many doubts." He sighed.

"Everybody has doubts sooner or later."

"Yes, but I want to be completely sure before I ask you. Not that I'm unprepared, just that it's frustrating for me to be unsure when I'm already guilty of not being there for Dave."

"We've been over that," Veronica said in a stern tone. "You couldn't have prevented it. I don't wish to rush you into something. If you don't feel like this is the proper time to ask what you want to ask, then I won't put on pressure. It's your decision, love."

"My decision entirely," he agreed.

Veronica jumped. "My stew!" she cried. "I forgot!"

She rushed to the oven and turned a knob. Pulling on a pair of mitts, she peered around the pot and inside to check out the damage. She leaned away, looking relieved.

Balthazar eased out of the chair and came over to the oven. The pot was full of brown things, red colors, and meat. He could find a few orange carrots and peppers too, those that had not been entirely consumed by the dark acid.

"Oh dear," she murmured. "I should've been more careful. The stew's saved but some of its flavor is probably ruined."

"I'll try it." Balthazar found a spoon on the counter and brought it to the pot, suspiciously poking at random bits he did not approve of. He finally scooped up a couple of things that didn't look dangerous or potentially lethal. Veronica watched anxiously as he took a bite.

"Just tell me it's bad and be done with it," she sighed. "I know it isn't any good."

"It's edible," Balthazar said, the corners of his mouth pulling up in a sly grin. "And it's quite appetizing, Miss Gorloisen."

She laughed. "Would you mind having it for dinner with me?"

"You won't be keen on sharing it with Dave and Becky?"

She was about to respond, but Balthazar smoothly interjected. "I would love to have supper with you, as always."

_Ask her now, Balthazar,_ he commanded himself mentally. One moment he was tasting his love's stew and then the next he was swiftly retrieving a small box from his pocket, opening it and in a passionate, completely truthful voice, said to her, "I love you. We've each had long, treacherous times and joyous times as well—and we have much more happy times to expect in the future. Will you marry me, Veronica?"

Everything blurred before his eyes. The oven was hazy white air, the human objects in the room folding into boring colors, and even his own hands appeared to be unimaginative clay. Only Veronica stood out among these arid things. She was clear and sharp and never had been so full of feeling.

He forgot about Dave's amnesia. He forgot about the Morganians lurking about, still possibly targeting his apprentice. He even forgot about Merlin's ring. All he could remember was her emotional reply to his question.

_Finally,_ Balthazar thought blissfully.

* * *

_I really would love some feedback on the marriage idea. I personally believe that Veronica and Balthazar should be a married couple, although I'm sure that they'd look good without a formal declaration. It might sound rushed, the whole proposing thing, but to be honest, it's been a month after Morgana's defeat in this story. That's a bunch of time with Veronica. Would Balthazar pass up a marriage proposal? I think not; but that's just me. I'd like honest feedback anyway._

Jem Yorke


	11. Prompt 052: Tesla

**_A/N:_**_ Don't worry if you don't get much of the text her; it's just cutting into the future. The next prompt will be after the prompt with stew._

* * *

Prompt Fifty-One : Tesla

Dave's footsteps were loudly echoed throughout the large alley. He frowned in contempt when he lifted his leg and saw the mud staining the soles of his new boots. He grimaced as he attempted to wipe away the filth coating the shoes. Dave eventually gave up and hurried towards the direction of the place he once knew so well.

His hand curled around the knob of the door. There were a few cobwebs in the corner and the knob looked like it was about to fall off at any given moment. Magic sprung from his fingertips and encased the knob; it twisted immediately, emitting a creaky groan. Dave entered the room, grateful to be out of the rain and mud.

A ghostly smile traced the lower half of his face. The room was affected by time and years of abuse. It smelled of something horrible. Mold covered a huge portion of the bleak walls and the gray bricks that made up the floor had dead bugs swarming in between. There were even more cobwebs here, especially up in the corners of the ceiling. Dave clucked in disapproval and disappointment. He couldn't help the feeling that burrowed up in his body and throat. He hadn't been here in such a long time. Dave wasn't so foolish to think that when he got the opportunity to come back, it would be in a clean state. He just didn't believe that rooms could get so dirty.

The owner of his old lab was an elderly man named Harold Lee Finch. From what Dave was aware of, Harold was in high hopes of getting the place redone and redecorated. He was planning on using it to store childhood memories and big objects of his past. Dave shook his head while he groped around the walls for a light switch. Finch died of a heart attack before he could actually get to the cleaning phase. His lab was given to his granddaughter, but apparently, the Stanford student was more into partying rather than putting the lab to use.

His fingers found the switch. He flipped it on, wondering if the lights still worked. It didn't take much effort to conjure magical light, but Dave would like it better if his lab was functioning in at least _one_ way. To his delight, the room was illuminated with a glow.

Dave was careful down the stairs. They hollered in protest as he continued his descent. His frown deepened. He wished he could restore the lab back to its original state.

Dave slowly made his way to a large contraption in the middle of the room. It was covered by a white tablecloth, yet his guess was as good as anyone's. Dave yanked off the sheet and let it fall to his feet. He blinked. The project that required him to create his wonderful Tesla coils.

He stared at them for a while. He remembered bringing back the coils to his teacher when the due date arrived. Somehow, thanks to a little persuasion and a lot of Balthazar, Dave was allowed to keep it in his lab instead of letting it be displayed. He remembered those days and smiled ruefully. He didn't think anyone would keep it for so long; then again, he had placed a spell on it years ago to ensure it wouldn't go anywhere till he was ready. It was too bad he never could take his Tesla coils with him.

Dave could see that time had not been kind to his invention. It was dusty and looked as if no one had bothered to care for it. His smile drooped. Dave's hands felt over the coils, wondering if they would truly work again. The chances were slim.

"Odd contraption. What did you use it for, trapping stray mice?"

Dave whipped around to see a young woman walking down the old steps. He released a sharp breath, a little annoyed.

"Hi," he said, sarcasm covering his voice. "Didn't bother to knock, did you?"

"I've never seen anything like this," she said, ignoring him completely. "Pretty interesting, though. Can't imagine anyone building something as big as this thing, but you were a loner back then, weren't you, Dave?"

He decided not to say anything. He continued to half-loathe and half-admire his project.

She walked over to his side and lifted her gloved hand. The fingers covered in leather stroked his right cheek. He pretended not to notice.

"What did you use it for?"

The question caught him off guard. Turning to her, he said, "What I used it for?" His tone was colored with idiocy, as if she was inquiring something complicated.

She was ever so patient with him—patience that was saved for unnecessary times. "This thing," she said. "What did you use it for?"

Dave readjusted his attention to his coils; it deserved it for more than _she_ did.

But knowing she would make him regret it later, he answered scathingly, "Maybe I used it for trapping bleeding rodents."

A laugh tainted with mirth filled the room like a ghostly wail. "Really," she said, chuckling, "tell me why you had it made."

"I made it myself, you know," Dave murmured. He unconsciously ran his hand down the ruined side of the machine.

"I know. It's impressive, actually. There are a majority of young adults that begin projects as huge as these yet never finish."

"Eh," he replied, shrugging. "It was actually for an assignment when…when I was back in college."

She nodded and did not say anything else for a couple of minutes. Dave had noticed a long time ago that she usually turned quiet when the details of his past life were brought up. Well, the parts of his life she basically ruined.

"They're…Tesla coils."

"Tesla coils?"

Dave suddenly recalled something. "You know," he said accusingly. "I told you about my Tesla coils ages ago."

She turned away, hiding her expression. Was she smiling? It felt like it.

"I forgot," she said. "You know how it is with me. Running across for miles with you, avoiding Merlinians. My previous thoughts tend to escape me."

"You don't even bother to remember. Asshole," Dave said. He didn't put enough feeling in his statement though. Just looking at his coils made him tired now. He had been exhausted before, what with the Merlinians looking for them.

"What was the point of coming here? We're on a tight schedule, in case you haven't noticed. And you haven't even finished packing yet."

"Where are we going next?"

"Arizona."

_Arizona._ That was far from New York. Far from his lab and his Tesla coils. His heart squeezed painfully. Dave held on to the coils as if they were a safety buoy.

"You never forgot, did you, Dave?"

He hated it when she used his name. "I never did. I spent a good deal of time making my Tesla coils."

"Mm. I imagine one puts much effort into something like this." She eyed the coils. In a brusque voice, she said, "Five more minutes until we leave. Enjoy it."

Dave didn't enjoy them. He mentally whispered a painful goodbye to his one and only greatest invention. It would eventually come to rot and break down. The magic had been fading as well. He was not Merlin. The coils were wasting away and soon, the spell cast upon it would leave too. Dave estimated the Tesla coils had only a couple of months left.

"What brought you here, Dave? First time you visited this hellhole," she noted as she paced across the room to the bottom of the stairs.

"This is the last time we're going to be in New York, and we won't be able to come back unless the Merlinians finally leave or we get Tess to help. I wanted to make sure I could see the coils again." A subtle pause. "I _did_ put a lot of effort into it."

"Five minutes up," she declared. "Five more at the motel to pack and ten to get the car up and running. And then we're on to Arizona from there."

"Cool," Dave mumbled sarcastically. He unwillingly parted from the invention and followed her up to the top of the stairs. It was similar to trudging through the heavy mud in the alleys of New York.

They went through and sealed the door again. It shut with an ominous click. He watched as she swept off the magic from the knob. Dave hurried after her as they made way to the motel they were no longer going to be staying at. He felt a large load of hate as he watched her clothed back. He loathed being with her, but at the moment, and possibly for more months, he was at her mercy and unable to get out.

If Dave Stutler had been reading her thoughts at the time, he would have heard her mind think: _Finch's granddaughter better take care of his damn coils._

_

* * *

_

I don't think anyone really gets much of anything here... It'll make sense after the fic is near its end. Then you can go back to this prompt and get everything. I promise.

_Thanks for the support on Balthazar's proposal to Veronica. It reminds me of parents approving a marriage, ha._

_No negative feedback yet, which means I'm getting off to a good start...so far. Thanks a ton, everyone!_

Jem Yorke


	12. Prompt 044: Nemesis

_**A/N:** I'm sorry it was confusing. It was a dream, or perhaps more accurately, a premonition, Dave had. I didn't think it would confuse the readers so much..._

* * *

Prompt Forty-Four : Nemesis

Dave's eyes slowly opened. He stayed still in bed, taking a moment to recognize his surroundings. He was relieved when he saw that he was in his bedroom at Arcana Cabana. Only could Balthazar's hardly-for-sale antique shop have those hideous brown and yellow wallpaper. Dave slipped out from his bed, wobbling a little. He guessed this was the after-effect of his odd dream. Odd…or presumably real, Dave thought in his head as he pulled on a clean shirt and some jeans.

He took another minute to check out his new room. It looked so different than his apartment. After lunch with his father, Derrick, he was allowed to go back to the apartment under Veronica's supervision. Becky and Dave packed here, taking his portable laptop and such. Dave memorized much of his old home as possible, so he wouldn't forget the next time he arrived here.

Dave walked down the stairs quietly. He wasn't feeling so great, which was another symptom the nightmare had caused. It wasn't so frightening, what with the slow, easy conversation and his familiar Tesla coils. But it scared Dave because it sounded like he had been ripped away from his past family and friends. Dave paused on the tenth step. _Wouldn't being an amnesiac already have ripped you away?_ Dave decided to ignore his thoughts.

"Balthazar left at first light, along with Ezra and the others. He'll be back around supper. We should all eat together."

"A special dinner would be nice." Dave recognized the voice as Becky's. "We could celebrate the engagement between you two."

Engagement? What did that mean? Was she referring to an event or a marriage? Dave silently shook his head. It was stupid of him not to know before. Of course Balthazar had proposed. After all, he was definitely in love with Veronica, and was bound to bring out a ring sooner or later. Dave felt a smile form on his face. It felt good to know that he hadn't disrupted everyone's schedule entirely.

He wanted to move downstairs so he could greet the pair, and apologize for getting up so late, but then he heard Veronica say, "That's a nice idea. Should we go wake Dave? Maybe he'd like to help."

"I think he has homework. I finished mine some time ago, but the professors here are _not_ merciless." Veronica laughed. Becky continued. "He has to catch up on a lot, so I don't think it would be in our best interest to ask him. He really has to complete the assignments."

"I see," Veronica said. "That's all right; we can make the supper and when we're all here, we'll tell him about the plans. Unless you have something else to do?"

"No, no. I would love to help," Becky replied. "But I think I should check on Dave every fifteen minutes or so. The amnesia… It's been hard on him."

"On all of us, Becky," Veronica said softly. "Dave's a very brilliant person. He'll adjust sometime in the future. He's determined; in fact, he's already becoming quite comfortable with his current environment."

"Yeah, I've noticed that…but it's just frustrating. The trackers are tracking for their second day. Balthazar, a great sorcerer, couldn't find any trace of them. I'm sorry for that, Veronica. Balthazar's giving it his all. I feel like I have to point that out."

"We'll find something eventually. I hope you don't fret so much. Depression favors us in terrible circumstances."

"Thanks," Becky said, but it sounded like she didn't mean it as much. "I appreciate what you're all doing for him. For us. I wish this happened to someone else instead of Dave."

A gasp. It was clearly from Becky.

"Sorry, Veronica," she hastily added. "I shouldn't have said that. No one has to go through what Dave's going through."

"Dear, calm down… No one's blaming you; I understand your feelings. You didn't mean it."

"I really didn't."

"Of course," Veronica agreed.

Dave heard the older woman mention shopping for gowns, but the words that flowed from their lips were blocked by his ears. He didn't want to hear anything more. Dave quickly rushed down the stairs, miraculously avoiding tripping. He caught a glimpse of Veronica and Becky seated at a table. They were surprised to see him. Dave mumbled hurriedly, "I'm going out, be back soon." And then he threw on his coat and ran out the door.

Dave had no destination or actual plans. He just wanted to get out of Arcana Cabana. Hearing them talk like that was a slight wound from a knife. It didn't hurt that much because Dave knew they hadn't said rude words or implied anything. It did hurt that they spoke of his amnesia. He didn't like hearing them talk about it in the way one might speak of a deformity.

Dave took a sharp turn, thankfully getting out of a brick wall's way. He felt like a fool for even leaving. Arcana Cabana protected him and he wasn't safe on the outside. But right now, he really wanted to get out. Just to go someplace away from his stupid troubles.

Dave was comforted with the fact he was going to walk around on his own, rather than with his protector. Besides, Veronica and Becky needed alone time. To talk. That sort of thing. He was sure girls did that.

Dave slowed down. He eventually took on a steady, casual gait of a random civilian of New York, although he felt anything but.

His upset mood faded at once. He was greeted by lights, shops, towering skyscrapers, and groups of people. Dave was astounded by his home city yet again. It was impossible not to be awed when the colorful lights and signs bathed you in their fantasy-like glow. The wind licked his neck as he slowly turned his head to peer at stores. He couldn't help but chuckle when he saw a magic shop.

Dave soon wandered into the deeper parts of the place. He was barely near the outskirts but he sensed he was getting farther away from civilization. There were smaller groups here and a ton of people sitting on the street. The shops and stores were still bright though. It had a couple of clubs, but that was no problem. Dave wasn't going into them anyways.

He came to another corner but didn't turn. For one, he had gone too far, and for another, there was an elderly woman there. She was obviously struggling with her things. Two shopping bags were in her hands, as well as a couple of books and an umbrella. No one bothered to help her. Dave frowned at the clear injustice. He hurried over to the woman. She looked up, her eyes flashing.

Dave offered his palms in a surrender. "Would you like some help with your things, ma'am?" he asked politely.

A look of relief passed over her face. "Why, thank you," she said as he got her shopping bags and umbrella.

"It's no trouble," he said truthfully. It wasn't as if he were busy or anything.

"I appreciate it." She hesitated. "Do you suppose you could help me bring them back to my building?"

He shrugged. "Sure, why not? Where do you live, Miss?"

She led him around the corner and through the streets. She walked a little limply but seemed to be in well enough shape for a woman of her age. Dave wondered why she was living in these parts of the city. There was nothing wrong with it, for now, he thought. Why wouldn't an elderly woman want to live in a less nosier place? Then again, there were nursing homes…

Finally they stopped at a building. It was made up of brown bricks and appeared to be in stable condition despite a couple of shingles missing from the roof. There was a side that was splattered with graffiti too. Dave frowned as she opened the door with an easy turn of the knob. No key? How was anyone safe in this building?

They came to the top floor. Dave passed slightly dirty halls that smelled of urine and peppermint, a disgusting combination. There were a couple of broken windows here on the inside that lined the dull walls. Dave could hear some scratching somewhere, which meant an animal was kept here. He was mystified. He couldn't imagine a cat or a dog living in these conditions. So much for stable.

She opened her door. Dave gaped at the inside of the room. It was a slice of what he could see, but still ugly enough. There was peeling paint off the walls and an odd smell rose from the area. A radiator could be heard shaking with heat.

"You live here?" Dave asked, incredulous.

He felt himself flying. His head smashed against the hard wall. A shriek tore through his lips. He moaned as his hands covered his head. He felt something wet. Nausea rose in his throat. He didn't have to look to know he was bleeding. His hair was soaked with red. Dave struggled to get to his feet, but such a feat was difficult when blood ran through his hair.

He was still lying on his back. His eyes could see black boots. He turned his head. The elderly woman was gone, replaced with a blonde, young girl. She was probably around Veronica's age, twenty-seven. Her face was twisted into a nasty sneer. It ruined her features.

_Help an old lady with her things and this is what I get,_ Dave thought.

"Stupid," she said. There was disappointment in her eyes. "Didn't even bother to see if I had any magic on me."

Dave couldn't exactly respond. The loss of blood was making him dizzy. With his hardest efforts, he attempted to stop the flow. The woman didn't laugh, like he thought she would. She merely paced the room in a slow, orderly fashion.

"Supposed to kill you," she muttered under her breath.

_Then why aren't you?_ Dave wanted to know. He winced as the pain sharpened.

A large ball of sparkling color hit the back of the blonde woman's head. She cried out in anger and pain as her body was thrown to the side of the room. Dave received a thrill of adrenaline. He jumped to his feet and tried to walk over to his savior. His eyes widened when he realized it was not Ezra or anyone else of the trackers. It was Jocelyn's small daughter Ilana. She held a glowing plasma bolt in her hands. A grin was across her face.

"That's some head injury," she whistled. "We can get that fixed up in no time. Let's get out of—"

Another plasma bolt whirled towards her, but she deflected it with her own bolt. The two collided, causing sparks to fly in the middle of the room. Dave stumbled back. The blonde was trying to create another plasma bolt, but Ilana was quicker. The woman dodged her attack, though.

There was an explosion in the hall. It sounded like furious winds. Dave was on the floor again, his head spinning and bleeding. He noticed a figure bending down. Percival. And there was Sterling too. He looked excited. Fire was forming in his hands.

"Dave," a familiar voice said. It was Balthazar, who was gently shoving Percival aside. "Dave," Balthazar said yet again. "We're going to get you out."

"Great," Dave mumbled.

.

.

.

"There _was_ a fairly nasty wound on your head, but we stitched it up in no time," Meredith was saying. "You can barely tell you tripped."

Dave murmured something agreeable. He had woken up some time ago, only to be greeted by Meredith Weller. Meredith was the amnesia specialist at St. Carina's. Dave had met her but hadn't exactly remembered her. Meredith spoke with him about his head injury.

Dave hadn't seen anyone familiar in the room. They weren't allowed in until later, Meredith had said. Dave assumed they brought him back here and lied about his cut. He didn't know what happened to the building or the blonde who'd attacked him.

"How long will I be staying here?"

"You can go home after one more day," Meredith promised. "Paperwork and records are the only things making you stay. I'll call Mr. Blake when it's time for you to be picked up."

"Thanks, Ms. Weller," Dave said.

"You can simply call me Meredith. Everyone does, anyways. Except Dr. Connelly, but that isn't the point…"

She seemed to say his name in a snide fashion. Dave wondered what was the dynamic between the two. He gave up on it; it wasn't his business.

"I should get going," Meredith said. "Page me if you require anything."

"Thank you, Meredith," Dave muttered. He frowned even more deeply when she left. It was bad enough he had to go and get amnesia. And now he had a head injury. He should've noticed long ago he was dead weight. Or perhaps he shouldn't help elderly women anymore.

* * *

_Maybe I should lay off the dreams for now. Or make them less puzzling, at least. _

Jem Yorke


	13. Prompt 033: Forest

**_A/N:_**_ This chapter is incredibly short. I am sorry._

* * *

Prompt Thirty-Three: Forest

Balthazar had never chased someone so passionately as he did now. He was with the other trackers, minus Ilana, who was immediately sent back to Arcana Cabana. Attempting to find the Prime Merlinian, destroy Morgana, and free his lost love from the Grimhold taught him much about retrieval and loss. However, the day he found Dave, bloody and broken, he was given a much larger yearning than those above. He looked day and night, even without the trackers, yet he had no clues or leads.

And then she came along.

The blonde woman put up a good fight. Balthazar didn't have any trouble battling her, but it was difficult to make sure no one in the building would find them. Or avoid accidentally hitting his allies. Percival had taken Dave to the hospital disguised as him, which was a great relief. One problem out of the way. But then having to weave out of the dirty area while keeping their eyes on their enemy—very, very impossible.

They all hurried out of the building and across the rooftops. The blonde preferred the top rather than the bottom, apparently. Balthazar believed this would be an opportunity for them. They could attack in open space, but the woman was nimble and quick. She easily dodged their plasma bolts, blazes, and parts of the roof, never looking back. It was frustrating, and on top of that, they never got a hit.

Balthazar was unaware of his surroundings. He only knew they were getting farther and farther away from the city and people. Good. At least they could try to nail her without the public noticing.

Ezra's voice slashed out unexpectedly like a whip. "We're slipping into the entrance of the Sterling Forest!"

_The irony Mr. Sterling must feel_, Balthazar thought, despite the current situation. He could see slight blurs of green and brown. The trees, he noted. Balthazar, sadly, had to worry about slamming into the trunks of them. The blonde seemed to have no trouble navigating through the forest.

Suddenly the trees parted to make a large dirt path. Balthazar was grateful for the ways of nature. There was much more space to launch an attack. His hand glowed with the maturing energy of a plasma bolt. It was released and burrowed its way towards the woman. She actually did look back this time. Her face was cautious. She flitted to the right, missing the bolt by a few inches. Balthazar's attack was an unconscious signal for the others to do the same. Their multicolored plasma bolts danced across the path.

The blonde cried out in shock as three caught on to her jacket. The fabric seemed to blacken. Another blow from Balthazar knocked her off her feet. She hoisted herself off the ground, stunned but unfazed. She immediately dove for the right, but it was too late to run. They surrounded her, their offensive weapons glowing in their hands.

"Who are you?" Balthazar growled.

He released his plasma bolt, which connected with the ground. It didn't harm the blonde, but was very close to her position. She didn't flinch or give any hint that she was worried.

"And don't try to run," Ezra said. "As you can see, it would be very easy for us to kill you."

To Balthazar's surprise, she spoke emotionlessly. "You wouldn't do that," she said. "If I died, who would be there to give you information?"

Balthazar could feel the atmosphere tighten and tense around him.

"You attacked the Prime Merlinian," Balthazar accused. "You stole Merlin's ring. You are well aware of your crimes."

She said nothing in response to this.

"Tell me where the ring is."

She eyed him with an odd look now. The corners of her mouth pulled a bit, but it was not even close to a smile. She was resisting the urge to laugh, he could see. It made Balthazar all the more irritated.

He turned to Ezra and nodded at him. He seemed to get the message and unleashed his plasma bolt on the blonde. It soared past her arm, but managed to harm it. She gritted her teeth and a hand flew to her arm. She hadn't been expecting the attack.

The blonde looked up at them with a pleasant smile. "I have to go now," she said in a conversational tone. "I promise to see you again, but right now isn't the best time for chatting."

A flash interrupted their staring contest. It came from the right, a bang of exploding sparks. Balthazar instinctively turned his head to the occurrence, but ordered in a loud voice, "Keep your eyes on her!"

Jocelyn was sprawled on the ground. Her arm was bent in an awkward position. Her breathing was low, uneven. Balthazar cursed. His eyes flickered back to the blonde. She was fully grinning, but did not move. Now Balthazar only had two people to take care of her. He had to tend to Jocelyn or risk the blonde's escape.

"Adelaide!" she shouted happily. She waved her hand.

Balthazar heard numerous attacks now. There were blows and furious sparks of light. Balthazar needed to help them. He knew this as soon as the noises entered. But with one sharp look from Jocelyn and her command, "Leave me!" was enough to convince him he had to stop the oncoming invasion.

He let the plasma bolt mature in his hands. He could see someone fly out of the tight circle of trees and explosions. She was a young woman with flaming red hair. She was covered by a thin, silvery mist. Within the blink of an eye, she was gone. Balthazar's eyes widened. He whipped around, attempting to find her, but she was nowhere in sight.

"Balthazar, their getting away!" Jocelyn screeched from her position on the ground.

She was painfully right. The redhead was bending down to the blonde. She grabbed her companion's friend. The silver mist on her extended to the latter. Balthazar and Sterling rushed to form plasma bolts. The pair disappeared before their attacks even hit the ground.

Balthazar swore loudly.

* * *

_Like I mentioned before, this chapter is short. Oh so painfully short. My apologies._

Jem Yorke


	14. Prompt 053: Masquerade

_**A/N: **This chapter is much longer than the last, so I'm forgiven by the writing muses, hopefully._

* * *

Prompt Fifty-Three : Masquerade

"Hey, Dave," Becky said. Despite the thick door in between them, she knew he was listening. "You can hear me, I'm sure. Let me in."

She had been going on like this for a couple of minutes, yet she was incredibly persistent nevertheless. Becky didn't know how long Dave would keep up the charade of not being home. She didn't even know if he'd let her in. He was a little abashed after what occurred yesterday. Becky hadn't seen him since the hospital trip.

But her determined efforts finally paid off. "Dude, let her in!" she could hear Bennet call. Then the door's lock was relieved and the barrier opened. She entered the living room to find Bennet on the couch, watching something on the TV.

"Where can I find Dave?" Becky asked.

"He's in the kitchen," said Bennet, not even bothering to look at her. "He's all depressed and stuff."

"Thanks." She crossed into the kitchenette. He was on the stool. Becky wondered why she didn't see him earlier. Dave didn't look entirely depressed. He had his regular face on and was wearing his normal clothes.

"Hello, Dave," Becky said coolly. "Have you been avoiding me?" She was using a teasing tone but her boyfriend didn't seem to notice. His head drooped slightly.

"Balthazar and Veronica sent you here, didn't they?" Dave mumbled.

She blinked in surprise. "No. I came here on my own. I thought I could lure you out to get some ice cream with me. Why do you think Balthazar and Veronica sent me?"

"Because they've been calling me ever since I got out," Dave said, still moody. "Percival escorted me to Arcana Cabana but I went home… Nothing for me to do there anyways."

"You can't sulk all day," Becky insisted. "It's unhealthy. Come get ice cream with me. Today's weather is fabulous."

"It wouldn't be safe," Dave murmured, lowering his voice. He peeked around Becky to check out Bennet and make sure he wasn't eavesdropping, but he was too involved with the program.

"We'll be with people around," Becky said, trying to make her own voice inaudible. "Lots of people. Morganians can't attack when others are around, right?" She paused. "Don't answer that."

"Thanks for the support, Becky, but I really don't want to go anywhere."

"Balthazar's probably going to come and get you," Becky reminded him, "so nothing will happen. You might as well have a few minutes of fun before he comes along."

Dave said something unintelligible.

"I have to head to the studio soon," Becky said. "But I can squeeze in some time for us."

He shook his head. "No thanks. I don't feel like ice cream. Thanks, again." He shrugged.

"All right. I guess if that's how you want it," Becky said. She shifted uncomfortably from the other foot. This was not how it was supposed to go.

She turned on her heel and walked to the door. She inclined her head towards Dave. He looked back. Becky didn't want to leave him all alone in his apartment with a TV-obsessed Bennet. She didn't want to skip out on her music session either; music was a little special piece of her life.

With a purposeful glance, she pointedly said, "You and I are going to go on a date after I'm finished—a _real_ date. And we're going to talk."

Was it her, or was Dave trying not to groan?

"The talk," Dave said, cringing. But he did agree. "Okay. I swear I'll take you on a date. A great date."

"Bye." She smiled softly and unwillingly left. She shut the door behind her. The click it made after was loud, echoing in the corridor. She sighed and stalked off to the radio station.

.

.

.

"Have you found anything you like?"

Veronica didn't look up from her gazing. "No," she replied. "Nothing here has really caught my eye. I thought bridal gowns were supposed to make you feel anguished over your decision. I just feel dull."

A small smile crept onto Balthazar's face. "You'll find something. There's bound to be around a thousand dresses in the world, or perhaps more…"

"Am I keeping you? You said you were going to go to Dave's and have him train."

"A head injury that has yet to heal isn't something you work with during training," sighed Balthazar. He pulled on the string of the teabag in his cup.

Veronica reached for his hand and gave a short pat. She let her hand stay, while telling him, "Well, yes, but once again, Balthazar, it was not your fault. It was all mine this time."

He grinned at her. "This time? You make it sound like there will be more."

"Of course there will be," Veronica said flatly. "We're dealing with Morganians here. I should have went after him, but my goodness, the boy is quick despite his weight… I'm glad Sterling told Ilana to watch him."

"He got in trouble for that," Balthazar mused. "Jocelyn was unhappy with her being involved. Although Ilana does a good job for her age."

"Poor girl," Veronica acknowledged. "She looks like she's got potential for magic, but that mother of hers won't even let her use it."

"She has her reasons," Balthazar murmured, really not wanting to go into subject of their matters. "I'm going to let Dave stay in his apartment for a couple of hours. I'm sure he can handle _that_, at least."

"Becky?" She pushed her magazine, full of poofy dresses, away to fully look at him.

"We've got Sterling and Jocelyn watching out for her from afar. She's going to her studio, now, I believe."

"What about Ezra?"

"Ah," Balthazar said. "Ezra is researching something from his computer and from newspaper articles. I don't put much stock into the human papers to tell us about our business, but Ezra is very excited. I'm sure he'll come up with something."

"What about the magic trail that the woman left?" Veronica asked. "No disrespect, love, but I thought you would be searching about that place."

"Sterling Forest has its fair share of visitors," Balthazar sighed. "I've gone over that trail about a million times, dear. No joke. It's a great lead, but the problem at hand is, that the redhead had some sort of covering on her. I don't recognize it entirely…but after she went off with the blonde woman, their tracks stopped. It was like footprints washed up on the beach."

"I could look in the Incantus for you," Veronica offered, although she was positive he had done that already.

"Thank you, Veronica; but I've got it," Balthazar said. He smiled at her suddenly and lifted the Incantus off his lap.

"Well, Balthazar, how am I supposed to know you were paying attention to the dresses?" she asked with a coy smile.

"You didn't see I had it all this time?"

"I actually didn't. I've been focusing on the wedding." She bit her lip. "Balthazar?"

"Yes, Veronica?"

"Do you suppose it would be wrong of me…to go to a dress shop tomorrow while you trained David?" She tensed, preparing herself for his answer. He was kind enough to say yes, she knew, yet it would be hard for him to take care of his amnesiac apprentice alone while struggling with the trackers and Becky.

"It's your choice. We're planning our wedding, Veronica," he said gently. "You should enjoy yourself."

"It makes me feel odd, going about shopping while…all this is going on."

"We have to put effort into the wedding too," Balthazar said boldly. "It's just horrible this had to happen when I was planning to put together a romantic ensemble."

"These things have a way of popping up in the most unnecessary of times…but we can make it work. We always did, didn't we?"

"With no doubt about it," Balthazar agreed. He leaned in and eagerly pulled her face to his.

.

.

.

Lilith's hand jerked towards the floor, swiftly retrieving the hat before it hit the ground. She hesitantly held it out to him. He accepted back his hat without a thanks or a greeting.

"Dreadful winds," he said smoothly. "Almost impossible to walk properly these days."

There was a small pause from Lilith before she actually broke the two minute silence. "Thank you for having us," she said in the same unsure voice that matched her gesture before. "I understand it's quite difficult to go about when there are Merlinians here."

Adelaide could have snorted. She sounded so much like a servant. A pitiful, pathetic servant. Not that she was poking jabs at her companion. Oh no, she wouldn't do that.

"It's an annoyance I must ignore," he said while waving his hand, "when it comes down to the Prime Merlinian."

Lilith nodded in feverish agreement. "So is the second theory still in motion?"

"Absolutely. We have yet to test it, but I do believe he could contact him for us."

"He's dead," Adelaide said bluntly. Two head sharply turned in her direction. They were as clear as natural lakes. Lilith looked at her with burning desperation whereas the man's irritated glare was an exact contrast.

"Not altogether, he isn't," he returned. "I have chosen your two specifically because I understand you both are good at what you do. But I can easily take back my offer if that is what must occur."

Lilith began to look panicked. She shot Adelaide a pleading glance.

"Take it back, then," Adelaide said, not giving much attention to the blonde. "If you're as good as you claim you are, then perhaps you can complete this without us."

_No,_ she could hear Lilith scream.

The man chuckled. "Oh, I can easily do just that if you want me to." Even in the obscure darkness, Adelaide sensed a smile play out across his face. "But your friend here doesn't want me to—and I must take her into account."

"Listen," Adelaide said, trying to pause the overwhelming feeling of infuriation. "People do things for others out of many things, but above all, there has got to be a little fraction of trust, or all they've worked for falls apart. You haven't given us your name, you shift appearances every time we meet… Why must we trust you?"

"Because I give you my word," he whispered gently. The cool breezes seemed to take the words across.

Adelaide opened her mouth, but he spoke first. "Lend me your assistance," he said. "Carry out the tasks while I do my part. And I promise it will be worth it."

Lilith was swallowing his words with a fierce longing in her brown eyes. Adelaide felt her anger sinking, with disappointment taking its place.

_You don't get it, do you, Lilith?_ Adelaide wished to say. _It doesn't matter how many promises he gives us; his word means nothing if he is a Morganian._ How many countless oaths had they destroyed? Did she not realize how this would be with all Morganians?

"I must be off now," he murmured, taking a glance at his wristwatch. "Someone important is hoping for my arrival."

_So we're all on your waiting list, then?_ Adelaide thought as he waved his hand, summoning his car. He nodded sharply to the girls and got in. Without a second glance, he sped away, leaving them.

"That was…productive," Lilith said, struggling for words.

Adelaide had something else to say. "I don't like him, Lilith."

"You hate everyone."

"Yes, but that's beside the point. You do know he actually does change his form every time we get together?"

"So do we," Lilith pointed out.

"We only change our features," Adelaide replied. She groped around in her jeans pocket and then her fingers clutched a familiar object. She brought out a pack of cigarettes, chose one at random, and lit it through magic. After a long smoke, she said to her, "I'll do the job because you want it, but if he keeps up his masquerade, I'm going to quit."

Lilith set her chin and nodded.

* * *

_I was really struggling with this prompt; I was unsure of which one to use, even though I had this plot set. I'm glad I finally chose. I'm also very excited to move along with the action._

Jem Yorke


	15. Prompt 026: Linguini

**_A/N:_**_ Well, Becky can't always hang out with the sorcerers, now can she?_

* * *

Prompt 26 : Linguini

"Are you prepared for your trip?" Veronica asked.

"I'm all set," Becky replied. "Thanks. What about you? Balthazar told me you wanted to go dress shopping."

"I will, in due time," Veronica said in a teasing tone. "But unexpectedly, he wants to train Dave today, so I will have to wait. Not a worry, though. I have no quarrel with helping out."

"If you're with them, who's going to be watching me?" Becky inquired, really not wanting to hear the answer. It had to be one of the trackers, of course, yet she wasn't comfortable with any of them.

"Ilana is definitely not allowed, according to her mother," Veronica said firmly. "But Ezra directed Sterling and Jocelyn to watch you. They won't interrupt your privacy; they can watch from afar."

"Okay." She hitched her sleeping bag's strap higher and gave Veronica her goodbyes. She shouted one for Dave and Balthazar, which was met with return. The lab echoed many things, so it was an easy task.

Becky waited outside of the lab in her parka and jeans. She vaguely wondered if the two trackers were really watching her from above, undetected and unseen. She quickly erased the thought from her mind; there was no need to be thinking about the current disruptions that threatened to tear apart whatever normalcy she had in her life. It was going to be a night with a friend, which meant no moping or angst whatsoever.

She was still going to be upset over canceling her date with Dave. She received a call from one of her close friends, Sophia, requesting her to sleep over and hang out. Dave said he would take her out another time and Balthazar wanted to train him anyways. So Becky ultimately took it upon herself to go to her friend's.

It was a short wait. Becky could spot Sophia's Volkswagen Beetle from a mile away. The car paused by her. The windows rolled down as she shouted out, "Hop in!"

"Thanks for picking me up," Becky said, shutting the car door. "It's pretty long from here to your place."

"Nah, it's okay," Sophia said. Becky took a moment to fully look at her. She hadn't interacted with her friends for some time. Sophia appeared to be the same as ever. She still wore her Mets cap backwards and had the exact number of bangles on her wrist.

They got to her place and unpacked. Sophia had taken care of provisions and such. All Becky had to do was set down her bag and change into her pajamas. Most college girls wouldn't label it as a sleepover, rather a "night getaway".

They plopped on the couch before a coffee table stacked with enough food to ensure they would leave with twenty extra pounds.

It was a nice way to unwind. Becky could talk about normal things with Sophia for once instead of Morganians and trackers. They exchanged their schedules: Becky was still involved with the radio station but her friend had moved on to being a little league coach's assistant. Becky didn't reveal too much, only that she was an official couple with Dave, and his aunt and uncle arrived in town to settle in. Sophia's life was hectic. She was still studying, still single, and still couldn't perfect her recipe on linguini.

"Really?" Becky laughed. "I thought you gave up on cooking by now."

"Please," Sophia said blithely, waving a hand. "I don't give up."

"True; it's your thing." She got up to pull the curtains together. Becky didn't exactly think a threat was here, but it was always good to be safe. She returned to the couch.

"I was making some before you came," Sophia said. "It's almost done."

"Linguini?"

"Yes," Sophia said pointedly. "I think I have finally perfected the recipe."

"Great." She took a sip from her soda while her friend gave her an odd look. Realization dawned on her.

"I'm going to be trying this, right?"

"That's what friends are for," Sophia said half-jokingly. She hoisted herself up and entered her kitchen. "Stay there! I'm getting the linguini."

Becky groaned. A moment later, Sophia came back with two full plates. She set them down on the coffee table and stepped back, arms crossed with pride. Becky peered at the food. It looked harmless enough but she couldn't be sure.

"I'm glad I got past step one," Sophia sighed. "Now try it for me." She offered Becky a fork.

Unwillingly, she stuck the fork in the linguini. With a great deal of hesitance, she sampled it.

Forcing herself to swallow, Becky murmured, "It could have used more…everything, I guess."

Sophia whisked away the plates to the kitchen and came back. "You're right," she said with some glumness tinting her voice. "It's funny, though, how I can't cook anything at all."

Becky didn't comment but she did agree. Sophia's grandfather knew how to cook Italian cuisine, being Italian himself. Her father learned how to make linguini with only a cookbook and a chef's hat. Sophia's weak point was cooking. She couldn't even make a simple batch of cookies.

"So why this all of a sudden?" Becky carefully asked as she cleaned the coffee table of empty goods and cans.

"Why what?" Sophia said. She turned away to stare at something on the wall. Becky wasn't convinced. She knew that the other girl was purposefully avoiding her question.

"It's been a long time since I've actually slept over," Becky said, "at anyone's house, for that matter. Why did you suddenly want to hang out?"

"Because we're friends," Sophia said matter-of-factly. "Friends do stuff with friends. And because…well, I don't know how you're gonna take this…"

"Say it," Becky sighed. "Let's clear anything out of the way."

"Becky." Sophia stared at her now. "You've been acting a little weird since…Dave's accident. I don't want to get into your business, you know that. But it's not good…to keep things inside. It's okay to talk to someone. That's what friends are for, right?"

"I know, Sophia. I've just been busy. An amnesiac boyfriend tends to put a lot of pressure on your shoulders." She wished she didn't sound so sharp.

"You aren't hanging out with anyone anymore and you aren't as social," Sophia said quietly, fooling around with an empty guacamole can. "I really miss you. And we're all going to graduate soon; time flies fast. What I'm trying to say is that I want you around like the old times instead of you being so…detached."

Becky took in these words. Truthfully, she had been disconnected and out of touch with her social life, ignoring many things she once considered important, like studying more than twenty minutes. But what could she do in these times? Her life was tied in with Dave's. Sorcery and schemes. Becky couldn't recall the last time she spoke with one of her friends.

"I've been absent a lot," Becky said. "I want to talk with you guys, but it's too hard for me to do so when I have Dave." And other matters, though she wasn't going to mention those.

"I understand." Sophia sounded like she did.

"I wish I could tell you about it all," Becky admitted.

"You can tell me some," Sophia replied gently. "Not all of it, but the parts you really feel comfortable with."

Becky froze. There was nothing she could honestly tell her without lying or risking her emotions. If Sophia knew about how she felt when Dave was missing, she would lose it.

Sophia registered her expression. Becky opened her mouth, yet no words came out.

"It's fine," Sophia said hastily. "You don't have to tell me anything at all; it's your choice. I'm just here to talk."

For some reason, her account sounded so much more genuine than Andre's.

"Should we get the movie?" Becky suggested, trying to change topics.

Sophia brightened, forgetting the conversation immediately. "Oh, sure. I wasn't sold on _Letters to Juliet_ 'cuz you know I hate romances. But this one guy finally showed me something he claimed was 'worth seeing'." She hopped over to the cabinet to get the film.

"What's the title?"

"Um, _The Brave One._ Weird, which is my opinion, but it got good reviews." She put in the disc and shut off the lights. They watched the commercials, a tradition among Becky and her gang of friends.

As the movie progressed, Becky began to develop a slight feeling of nausea. Whether it was from the snacks they'd eaten or something else, she didn't know. But there was the film itself that contributed to the uneasiness in her stomach.

Erica, the main character, was a radio show host just like herself, a fact that surprised Becky. Her fiancé was given the name of David, sending chills down her spine. In only the first scene, David was murdered off by a gang.

Becky jumped from her seat. She raced to the kitchen and launched herself at the garbage bin. Using the step, she threw her head in and vomited.

"Whoa!" Sophia cried from behind.

Becky completed the puking process and was whisked off to the bathroom. Sophia helped her out by bringing towels and a cup of water as Becky cleaned her mouth.

"Ugh. I'm so sorry, Soph," Becky mumbled. "That was gross of me."

"No worries. I checked the bin. It looked like my linguini is the culprit," Sophia said sheepishly. She bent down. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Yeah, just fine. Do you still want me to stay?"

"Only if you feel better."

In the end, Becky was able to hold down her stomach for an hour. Sophia was smart enough to take out the movie and replace it with a comedy. Becky wasn't watching anymore but did try her best to pay attention to the plot. She didn't come over just to get moody and vomit in the bin.

It was almost a relief when they had to hit the sack. Becky and Sophia exchanged goodnights and slipped into their respective sleeping places. Sophia tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep; one of her unlucky traits. Becky was taken over by a dark wave. She welcomed the lethargy with open arms.

* * *

_My father was surfing the TV channels some time ago and found this movie titled The Brave One. I researched it online and was taken aback to find that Erica was a radio show host and her fiance, David, was murdered by gang members. It reminded me so much of Becky and Dave, although the film came up after I begun this story. I'm glad I could use it in a prompt, although the movie's pretty intense._

Jem Yorke


	16. Prompt 022: Snake

_**A/N:** Seven pages. Probably the longest chapter so far, haha._

* * *

Prompt 22 : Snake

"…and this is my office. Like I mentioned earlier, Meg just came over to pick up some things," Derrick said, gesturing to the small room.

"Which," Meg added pointedly, not looking up from her spot in his chair, "would be simpler if this place wasn't so cluttered."

Derrick waved away her half-serious comment with a smile. "I'm usually very organized," he told David, who was curiously looking about. "But I've been having a busy day, so I haven't…"

"I get it," David said, offering a smile back in return. "I have those days too."

_He says it like he means it,_ Derrick thought glumly. He could have sworn one moment his son was a little baby in a crib, and then the next, he had shifted to a full grown college kid; focused on studies and given a load of responsibilities. Time flew by incredibly quickly these days.

Meg lifted up three thick books—the ones Derrick planned on reading but never got to—and peered under them, hoping to find whatever she was searching for. His assistant had mentioned something about schedules, but he had been too crazed with worry to actually hear her.

Derrick Stutler didn't get nervous so easily; it wasn't one of his main characteristics and he never felt the need to be apprehensive when calm was needed. But he _did_ feel anxious when Meg told him he would need to show David around. Truthfully, he didn't even think of the idea. He had been so piled up with work, the upcoming holidays. Derrick completely forgot about introducing David to the penthouse.

"It's nice," David commented as he looked more closely at his calendar. "You have a ton of work to do. I understand."

"That shouldn't prevent me from spending time with you," he fumed, angry he had let himself slip away in the past weeks. He eventually did find something for them to do together. "I have things planned for us…and Becky, of course. To meet her; better than last time."

Despite his son's nonchalant looks, Derrick could feel the boy's body tense. A trace of disappointment touched him, but he ignored it. After all, people were like this when girlfriends were involved. Not that he knew of, but…

"What sort of things?" David asked. He turned around and quietly asked Meg if she needed help. Meg flashed him a grateful smile and asked him to check the back drawers.

"Well, we could all go out to dinner, something more elaborate than the café," Derrick said. "Then we could talk…about things."

"What do you mean?"

"Like what she does at NYU, if I could meet her parents… Normal things, David."

"But we'll talk about me and you first, right?"

"Absolutely," Derrick said. He felt a horrible sense of realization, yet he pushed it aside to deal with later. "Ask me anything."

"I'll do that when we go out to dinner." After a short pause, David hastily added, "Thanks for showing me around."

"It wasn't a problem." He felt another shred of disappointment. He kept expecting his son to address him as "Dad" but it wasn't coming up. He had to give David time. He had acquired amnesia, for crying out loud. But surely he could just call him "Dad" at least once?

"Aha!" Meg cried. They both whipped around to find her holding up a large wad of clipped papers, a look of triumph blazing across her face. "I've finally found it!"

"Good for you, Meg," Derrick said flatly. He was simply teasing, of course. He and Meg had quite the well relationship. She was used to his jabs and tones as he was used to her forgetfulness.

"I guess I can go home, now," Meg said, briefly glancing at David. "I wouldn't want to pry further."

"Have a good night," Derrick called as she slid out of the office.

"You, too!" Meg shouted back. Her little footsteps echoed throughout the hall.

Derrick was left alone with David now. They both stared at each other for some time, but Derrick made sure it wasn't an hour enough. "So," he said cheerfully, "you've seen the entire place."

"It's really cool," David said. "I was thinking of something more..."

"Normal?" Derrick asked, grinning at him. He enjoyed the private joke for only a minute.

"No," David protested. "I meant, I was thinking you'd live in somewhere less expensive."

"Well, my salary is a life-saver," Derrick explained. "It's pretty good."

"Um, so, will we just stand, or…?"

"No, no standing. Go to the living room and make yourself comfortable. Do you want me to make you something? I don't think I've fed you."

A small smile traced his son's face. "A drink would be nice." Derrick shooed him off to the living room and watched the retreating back of the boy.

When he was gone, he hurried to the kitchen. He hated the color of the paint. It was the same light color of his ex-wife. Derrick distracted himself by fetching a tall glass and pouring ginger ale inside. He couldn't run away from his thoughts forever, because he ultimately felt a tug at his mind.

Derrick sighed and leaned against the sink. He ran a hand through his thick, black hair. He had no idea what he was going to say. David would definitely ask about his mother's whereabouts. He could handle all the other memories, although it did pain him to see the spread of confusion on his little boy's face. He wasn't going to remember all those school plays, how he cried when he had to be taken to the doctor, and all those other things that were so significant to childhood.

Derrick thought they could get through it. David's girlfriend was a nice, young lady and she did seem to handle everything tightly, but well… And Balthazar, Veronica. Those two relatives of Becky had quite the support system. He was lucky just to have people around to help him and to be involved in his son's life. Derrick himself had no one when he was younger.

_How horrible is it that I can't consult the book,_ Derrick thought to himself as he carried two drinks to the living room. He smiled down on David, who was currently busy entertaining himself with the scented candles on the table. He looked up with a sheepish expression on his, though that melted away when he saw the drinks.

"Thanks," he said, taking and sipping from it.

"Do you have any questions? Any at all?" Derrick cursed himself for being so enthusiastic about it. The last thing he wanted was for David to ask him about his mother.

To his surprise, that was not the first question.

"What do you do for a living?" David asked. "You mentioned your salary before."

"Oh." He certainly wasn't expecting that. "I'm an orthodontist. It's sort of like a dentist; I specialize in improper bites and braces, that sort of thing." He laughed suddenly. "What did you think I did?"

"I wasn't thinking among the lines of an orthodontist," David said, laughing a little himself. "I kind of didn't have any expectations."

"Shoot with the questions. I will not allow you to feel uncomfortable or confused when you enter."

"Um…were you involved in my education?" David blurted out. "Like with college or anything?"

"Always. I check up from you time to time, and I make sure I'm aware of your education. I paid for your tuition, although I remember you making a big fuss over it."

"I would have," David sighed.

"How are your Tesla coils doing?" Derrick threw out. "Are they behaving themselves?"

David's eyes widened. "My Tesla coils? You actually know about that?"

"I was the one who spent money on that lab of yours," Derrick said, another smile making its way. "Of course I know about them. You talked about the coils but you were unwilling to brag. I was secretly hoping you would."

He processed that. "What was my past like? How was I raised? Can you give me details about you and my mom?"

Derrick cursed mentally. So David hadn't had any inkling about his father's single status. He was hoping David would catch on, what with no mother ever showing up. Guess he had to do this the hard way.

"I…was a student at Stanford. You know, practicing to be what I am now and such. I met your mother while she was working at her part-time job as a waitress," Derrick said slowly, picking the correct words. "She was studying at the community college, which bothered me at first, but I eventually decided there should be nothing coming between our friendship. We met time and time again…fell in love. But you don't want those sappy stories, do you? Anyways, we got married young, and…and everything was good for a while…but…"

"What happened?" David demanded, his eyes flaming with curiosity.

Derrick flinched at his tone. This was going to be difficult. "Well, David, you know how a married couple works out. T-They have a child," he said, struggling. God, he wished he could have the will to continue. "Your mother, well, let's just say that your mother didn't want to stick around when she saw she would have to…"

He let the sentence hang. The awkward, broken silence that added to it was just plain agonizing.

_You blew it, Derrick Stutler. Blew. It._ He winced at his own emotionless thought. He needed to get a grip on the situation. It was bad enough there was an amnesiac son here—David didn't require any more hurt.

"I'm sorry," Derrick said as gently as he could. "I didn't mean to break it to you that way. But it's the truth."

He watched his son nod, apparently somewhere else. He rubbed his wrist, still nodding. Derrick felt his anxiety level raise. If David continued to keep that detached expression on his face, he was going to need a shot.

"Whatever." David's voice came out like a whip; quick and sharp. "She's gone, right? She never came back?"

"…No, she didn't."

"I don't care," David said. He shrugged. "I have another question."

"Go on," Derrick said cautiously.

"Can I please go? I have homework, but I bet we can finish this later. I swear," he added, as if Derrick would not be swayed by his facial expression.

"You're free to go," Derrick replied. "I think we should meet on the weekends for dinner, like I said before. Bring Becky too."

"Sure. Thanks a lot, Dad," David said. Derrick knew his son was being genuine with the appreciation, but the title came unexpectedly. He couldn't tell if it was forced or not.

He pondered over this while David picked up his half-empty glass and left.

A few minutes later, he could hear a voice waft from the kitchen, "What is this?"

Derrick found David in the kitchen. He saw him standing near the drawer, turning a tiny, withered book in his hands. He looked pleasantly stunned by what he was seeing.

"…Dad?"

Derrick froze when he truly got the sight of the book. Oh no. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. It could not be the Incantus. In. His. Normal. Son's. Hands.

Derrick grabbed the book from David's hands and shoved it back in the drawer. He swiftly yanked open another drawer and his fingers groped around for the key. He retrieved it and slammed it into the keyhole of the first drawer, locking it efficiently.

"That was something very sentimental," Derrick said, trying to sound as casual as possible. "My aunt gave it to me."

Dave nodded. "Sure," he said. "Sorry for, uh, you know."

"It's all right. It's that the book is quite old and might turn into dust at any second." Derrick tried to laugh as convincingly as he could. "Not really important; just some notes about fishing, the best bait."

"Okay," David said. He shrugged again. Derrick could tell his son was fairly interested, but would not push matters in the subject. "I'll go now. See you later, Dad."

"Want me to escort you back home? It's a short car ride."

"Nah, I got it. Thanks, Dad."

"Sleep tight; and check your email!" Derrick shouted as he watched David walk down the hall and open the door.

"Okay, I will!" David promised. He was gone then, leaving his father alone with his thoughts and ginger ale.

.

.

.

Dave left the fancy home of his father's and embraced the cool air of the city. The streets were gray and the lights shone. He had no car to get home but was promised a ride by Ezra. Balthazar and Veronica would be looking for the appropriate flowers for their wedding, no matter what the time. Becky was studying for an exam with her friend Sophia. Maybe he would surprise her with chocolates tomorrow, a nice introduction to their almost-date.

Dave walked down the street with hands shoved into his jacket pockets. He was surprised about his encounter with Derrick. It went pretty well, although having to hear about his mother was hurtful. But he didn't care…

"Hello, Dave," a cheerful voice called out.

Dave's head shot up. His eyes widened considerably when he saw a redheaded woman with a glowing plasma bolt in her hands.

"You're going to come with me," she said, still using a jovial tone, "and you won't make this difficult."

Dave continued to stare at the plasma bolt. It was growing bigger. He would have no time to make his own, and if he fled, he would risk getting hurt, adding to his head injury. Finally, he shut his eyes and slowly nodded.


	17. Prompt 096: Suspension

**_A/N:_**_ Don't be confused by the names mentioned below; they'll be explained sometime later._

* * *

Prompt 96 : Suspension

"Pick up, pick up, _pick up_," Ezra said through gritted teeth. If any one of his comrades were here, they would be more than a little shocked to hear him. His words sounded more of a plea rather than a command. His fellow trackers always thought of him as demanding, and that was correct. But not with Carla. He was never on top of his game with Carla.

That little fact reminded him he shouldn't be doing this, that it would have cold results. He knew that as soon as he made his first post-breakup call. He always knew it. Ezra just couldn't get himself to stop. No magic spell or barrier could prevent him from doing what he was doing now.

After five minutes of begging, her voice finally came on. Ezra celebrated a moment of victory but it was wasted. The complaints would begin and his beseeching would emerge. Ezra leaned back in his seat; he was given only half a second of preparation before it started.

"Oh, God. Don't tell me it's Ezra," a loud voice said from the background. Ezra frowned at the obvious pushiness in the female's tone. It had to be Amanda, the horrible monster that was the sister of his past flame.

"It's Ezra, Mandy," the speaker said. She sounded upset, clearly, but it didn't stop her from mumbling a feeble hello.

"Hi, Carla," Ezra greeted, trying to be as polite and sweet as possible. It was not in his nature to be polite and sweet, yet he had to manage if he wanted to see Camilla.

"Why are you calling me? It's late and I just came back from my shift. I'm tired." She did sound tired. But Ezra was tired too.

"I'm sorry. I know I should stop doing this," Ezra told her. He winced at his tone; there was clearly a lack of apology, and perhaps she could hear it too.

"Then why don't you?" Carla asked. "You have been calling and calling, and it is working on my last nerve."

"Mine too," Amanda grumbled, yet, once again, from the background. She should shut up, Ezra decided.

"You seemed happy to talk with me last time," he pointed out tentatively.

"That was because Ben wasn't home last time," she snapped. Suddenly, a gasp. "I take that back."

Anger flooded through his system. "He's been treating you badly, hasn't he?" Ezra shouted. "I knew it!"

"No, no, he hasn't," Carla said, backpedaling immediately. "It was just an argument we had. Like I said, I'm tired. Now getting back to the original subject—why won't you stop this calling business?"

"I really want to speak with her," Ezra said quietly. "Camilla."

A short sigh. "Ezra. I have custody of her and I decide when she gets to see you; you can't come over to the house and calling all the time is unhealthy. If you want her so much, why didn't you fight with me?"

It was a question that doused out the fire in his veins. Ice ran through them now. It hurt so bad, being unable to tell Carla why. Not even being allowed to fight for custody because of the whole situation that would possibly stretch out for the rest of his life. If he had been born differently, born as some stupid, mundane human like everyone else, perhaps this wouldn't be happening to him right now. Ezra counted to ten in his head, then resumed talking.

"I can't say," Ezra said quietly.

"Oh! Petty excuse, Ezra, the same one you've been giving me ever since we split! I shouldn't even be on the phone with you right now."

"Exactly!" Amanda said. She was too loud, which meant she had to be next to Carla. "I keep telling you, he has to stop! He has no reason to be harassing you and Camilla!"

"Charming woman, your sister is," Ezra mumbled. Before he could say more, Carla spoke, her voice as sharp and quick as a whip.

"I have to go," Carla snapped. "I have to make dinner for Ben and Camilla. Don't call me for the rest of the week, Ezra."

"Camilla," he whispered.

"I'll give you a message when I think you're ready for her. Now goodbye." The line went dead and their conversation was over. Ezra was left alone with only the newspaper in the car.

So it startled him when he ready three raps on the window. He whipped around uncomfortably and saw the kid, Dave. He was wearing a hesitant smile and waved shortly.

"Hi," he said. "Thanks for offering to drive me."

"Yeah, sure, it's my top priority," Ezra murmured, although he was sure the Prime couldn't hear him. He allowed the car door to be unlocked. The boy slipped in and shut the door, his hands on his lap.

"Are you heading to Balthazar's or what?" He couldn't help the icy edge to his voice. It was the aftereffect of talking to an annoyed Carla. But the boy didn't seem to notice anything.

"To my apartment, I guess," he said. "I think I need a long night's sleep."

"You're not the only one," Ezra offered, and with that, the car sped off.

.

.

.

"Wake up."

The bizarre demand muddled Dave's already confused thoughts. He had drifted out of his unconscious state ten minutes ago, yet he never bothered to open his eyes. All he knew was that he had been abducted and manacled to a wall. He thought he could play for a little bit more time, but maybe the woman had gotten tired.

He reluctantly opened his eyes. He saw he was in white room with splashes of gray. The walls were completely made out of metal, something that was a little surprising. The floor was hard and cold, a trait he picked up earlier. Dave hadn't realized the floor was constructed of steel. There was only a white table with matching chairs in the room. The woman was sitting in one of them, facing him.

Horvath fit the Morganian bill; he had been dressed sharply with a taste of crossness. It was like a villainous fashion sense. Drake Stone's crazy outfit could be labeled as illegal. This woman, however, didn't appear to be intimidating or evil. She wore black clothes with a dark coat much like Balthazar's wrapped around her tall frame. Her hair was a red tangle of locks around her face, but it was nothing like Morgana's—too messy and unorganized. Her features were perfect, save for the nose that was a little too pointed. She wasn't pretty or ugly.

"Staring, are you now? I thought you would've taken the opportunity to babble," the redhead said. When he gave her a blank look, she said, "Imploring. Claiming you have three orphan puppies to feed, and that's why you have to live. That sort of thing."

"I've been in this situation before," Dave explained shortly. He hadn't been kidnapped and shackled to a wall previously, but it wasn't his first time being cornered by a stranger. He surely never babbled to them, though.

"Hmm. Does the getting-attacked bit turn old, then?"

"Er, not all the time," Dave said, baffled.

"So I suppose you don't have three orphan puppies to lie about either?"

"I have a dog."

She smiled. "So he has a dog...," she murmured amusedly.

Dave seized the opportunity to observe his current matter. There were no windows in the room so he had zero contact with the outside world. He didn't know where he was and being chained up didn't help at all. The woman was being friendly so far, so perhaps she was Drake Stone-esque (all talk, but no show). Or she could be toying with him.

The silence didn't last long. "Let's get down to business," the woman said. "You are aware of why I've decided to escort you here?"

_Escort? Doesn't she mean kidnap?_ Dave thought.

"No, I mean escort," she said tartly. She must've seen the stunned expression on his face, because she told him, "It's mind-reading, little Merlinian. Haven't you learned it?"

Dave believed it to be a rhetorical question. But with a couple of seconds later, and that emotionless gaze on her face, Dave realized she expected him to answer.

"Oh," he said. "Um, no, I didn't learn it."

She shook her head. "Didn't think you did. Well, it doesn't matter. You'll still be useful."

A slight sense of foreboding entered. Dave didn't like the bloom of apprehension in the pit of his stomach. Something was going to be said and done, and he was going to be pulled into it.

"Let me explain what I want with you," the woman continued, leaning back in her chair. She folded her arms over her chest, very serious now. "And what I think you'd want from me."

Dave threw a sharp look at the walls of the room. If he made any noises, would someone hear him? If he was heard, it wouldn't matter… He didn't know where he was, and he didn't want to risk a human coming up here. Dave had a feeling that none of the trackers or Balthazar were around. He was alone with this woman.

"Look," the redhead interrupted his thoughts. "I'm not mind-reading right _now_, but I can tell from that expression of yours that you want out. I get it; who likes being captured? It doesn't matter, though, because you're going to hear me out. Nod if you actually understand me."

Feeling foolish, Dave nodded. But she wasn't harming him, so it might be sign that she was just bringing up something. Yet the feeling of dread didn't go away.

"I know facts. More specifically, facts about _you_. Like how you received the honor of being trained by Balthazar Blake," the redhead said, grinning as she spoke. "I also know about your little condition. Amnesia, right?"

She didn't wait for a reply. "You're the Prime Merlinian—congrats—and you've been attacked by Morganians. Seeing as I know much about you, I can safely say I know quite a lot about the opposing side."

She knew, Dave thought. A chill ran down her spine. Had she been watching him? watching everyone he came in contact with? Dave imagined her on a building, hiding in the shadows like a cliché villain as he was spied upon. It made him shiver nonetheless.

"You want information. That's why you brought those trackers in," the woman said. "I can't give you that information exactly…but I can offer you something better. Wouldn't you like your amnesia to go away?

He froze. If the stupid disorder that prevented him from seeing his memories was gone, he'd be able to tell Balthazar about the trackers, and they'd have a better chance at getting them. He didn't know how it would help, but it was better than nothing. He would remember everything. There would be no need for additional assistance from friends and his father.

Dave hesitantly met her eyes. "You can do that?"

"By my own hands, yes."

"Sorcerers can't do that," Dave said accusingly. "There's no spell for that. And time traveling would destroy the timeline."

"It's true," she sighed. "Those who've been blessed with magic are unable to do so, but I'm a different case, thanks to my dear parents. Their inheritance gift to me was healing; healing of any sorts, really. But naturally, if you want me to cure you of your disability, I require something in return."

"A compromise?"

"A deal. I'm striking up a deal with you," she said. "If you would like me to get rid of your amnesia, I will do so. I want you to lend me your hands, so to speak. I have a slight problem that needs to be taken care of, and having the Prime Merlinian to assist me would be significant."

"Getting rid of my amnesia for assistance in return?" Dave rephrased. "That sounds too unbalanced. Unfair."

"It isn't," she returned smoothly. "In fact, if I am being honest with you, my problem may be greater than yours."

"What if…I say no?" Dave asked tentatively.

She flashed him a smile. Her answer was unforeseen. "You're free to deny, Prime, but I don't think that'd be in your best interest. You mustn't answer right away, though; take a day to consider."

"Only a day?"

"A day's what I'm giving you. I'll come back after the sun sets tomorrow and ask for your answer."

"What if I want to give it to you right now?"

She tossed back her hair. "Go ahead, but I'm still returning tomorrow for your _definite_ answer."

"I can tell this to my master, can't I? I can't really go anywhere without his consent these days…"

"Absolutely not." She laughed shrilly.

"You're a Morganian, aren't you?" Dave asked, heightening up his awareness. The chains clanked as he dragged his hands forward, and he wondered if he could create a plasma bolt and a shield. It was possible, but he wouldn't be able to move far.

"I wouldn't place myself under that category," she said lightly before moving on. "You aren't going to say a word of our little discussion. It'll be complicating things." The redhead abruptly stood up, almost knocking the chair over. She stalked towards him. Dave felt the panic well up inside of him. He was frozen, unable to react physically.

"Calm down," she ordered sharply. She bent down next to him and Dave could see the magic covering her hands. "I'm simply placing a spell on you to ensure you won't speak about this. You'll forgot we even met and resume your schedule; but when I return, you'll remember."

Her gloved fingers touched his temples gently. Dave was overtaken by the magic before he could get a chance to fight her off. The thin pulse of magic beat inside his head like butterfly wings. They left a ticking. With every beat, he was pulled into a dark abyss. Darkness swept at his eyelids, blinding him. Then it was over.

He was lying against the wall, gasping for breath. But he still recalled every detail of their encounter. The woman was standing over him, looking at the ceiling.

"The spell will take effect after a few minutes. In six, actually." A small flame erupted from her fingertip, much like a light from a cigarette lighter. She bent down once again, but brought the thin strip of fire to the manacle. It melted a bit of the iron away. Dave freed his hand while she did the same with the right manacle. Soon enough, he was released.

"Don't worry about the ride home," the woman said. "I took care of that; a simple doppelganger. I'll be sending you to your bedroom now."

Dave had heard of the term before but never knew how to do so. "Hold on," he said swiftly. "If all you wanted to do was make a deal, then why didn't you approach me… I don't know, _normally?_"

"For me, that was normally." As she spoke Dave could feel his thoughts drift away; it had to be the spell working.

"Kidnapping?" Dave questioned.

"Escorting. It was escorting," she corrected.


	18. Prompt 008: Monkey

Prompt 8 : Monkey

"That dress looks _wonderful_ on you," the saleswoman gushed. "Just so pretty."

Veronica smiled and thanked her for the compliments. "Becky, what do you think?"

"I don't get a say?" Balthazar asked, but he flashed a wide smile, so it was clear he was only teasing.

"Of course you do, love, of course you do. I'm saving the best for last, after all," Veronica said. She clutched the skirts of the flowing white dress and presented herself to the young blonde. Becky reviewed the dress carefully before making a proper decision.

"I think it's gorgeous," Becky told her. "It stands out from the other dresses."

"I think so too. I'm not sure yet, though. Sophia?" Veronica called, raising an eyebrow at the girl. She blushed, which was difficult to tell since her coloring was so tan, but it was there.

Veronica and the rest of them had gone off dress shopping in the early morning. It was her idea, and even though it wasn't exactly the proper time, she was determined; she all but dragged them out of their comfort zones. Becky had made plans with a friend, Sophia, and Veronica immediately wanted the other girl to come. She hardly knew Sophia, only that she was one of Becky's friends and a baseball friend. But Veronica yearned for female company. She was eager for wedding dresses and needed all the women she could find. She didn't want to ask Jocelyn to come along because that would be mixing pleasure with business… Besides, the trackers made her feel uncomfortable.

"Your dress is really nice. The train is nice," Sophia offered. She shoved her hands into her pink coat. "Personally, all the dresses look fabulous on you."

"I was going to say that," Balthazar joked, but there was serious tint to his tone. "I guess I'm running out of compliments for Veronica."

There was a laugh from the saleswoman. Veronica thought her name was Vinnie. Vinnie had showered her with compliments and kind words as soon as she tried on the first dress, but Veronica knew that's what all saleswomen did for brides. But Balthazar claimed she truly did look wonderful in all of them.

"Now, Balthazar." Veronica turned on him. "What do you suppose of my dress? I want honesty."

"All I've ever given to you was honesty," he said, smirking momentarily. But his eyes changed to a liquid glory as they skipped over her dress-clad body. He was taking in the details, she knew.

"I think this might be the dress for you," Balthazar declared. He didn't continue, even though he probably would. Balthazar stared at her intently. Her thoughts drifted to their relations that occurred last night. It had been another blissful night with her fiancé, and it went completely uninterrupted. Dave had come home just fine. Dave said he would love to go with them, but he had gotten a call from Derrick. Apparently, his father wanted him to come over again so they could make arrangements for something.

"How much does this cost?" She wasn't entirely consumed with the matter of money. They both could survive financially and didn't have to depend much on loans. Balthazar saved up quite a bit of money while he traveled the word, including a few rarities that sold well at auctions. Veronica had sold some of her own things as well, bits of jewelry that didn't mean so much to her.

Vinnie rattled off the price to them. Balthazar took note, but Veronica was vaguely aware of the cost of the dress. Her musings over money brought her attention to much sharper matters. Balthazar required a human job to keep up appearances, and more importantly, assure themselves. They couldn't be in magical situations all the time. Veronica herself was considering working somewhere. Being a housewife didn't stick so well with her.

And pregnancy. That was something else she needed to think about. She wasn't pregnant, not one bit, but Veronica was no fool. Married couples had children at one point in their lives. Or they took those pills. Veronica shook her head. She wasn't going to be taking any pills. Her physical love for Balthazar would be natural. It simply worried her about having a baby. She wanted a child, but how safe could it be? What if she conceived during this horrible situation? It would add much more drama.

"Thank you for all the help," Veronica said as she was led back to the dressing room. "I certainly will be purchasing."

"You're welcome," Vinnie said, but she was a little bit too busy scanning the area for more brides. "I hope you have a wonderful wedding."

The dress was in a crisp, white bag in a few short minutes. Becky and Sophia talked with one another while the purchase was in process. Veronica held Balthazar's hand, smiling and whispering to him, "The wedding is going to be wonderful."

"About that," Balthazar said, suddenly alert. "How long do you think it will be until we have the official event?"

"I-I'm not sure," Veronica stumbled, thrown off by his tone. "We already have the dress and rings, but there are many notions to go through."

"All right," Balthazar murmured swiftly. "I'm just worried about the Morganians. I will go berserk if they halt our wedding plans."

"They won't, Balthazar. There will be wards, spells, and barriers over the place. We'll be protected."

"Filthy Morganians. When I catch them… But we mustn't spoil these good feelings. Forgive me, Veronica. I'm out of it today."

"It's fine," she said quietly. "Let's go back to Arcana Cabana. Becky and Sophia can stay with the trackers for a bit."

"Daytime relations?" Balthazar questioned. Veronica flushed.

"I understand," he said swiftly. "And I couldn't think of a better escape." They pecked one another on the cheek, shopping bag still in Veronica's hand. Veronica signaled the two girls to come over.

"Thank you, girls," Veronica said. "I hope I didn't take much time from your schedules—"

"_Camilla Garner!"_ a voice screamed. _"You get over here right now!"_

A blur flashed towards Veronica. Balthazar took a determined step forward, as if he would stop the oncoming force with his bare hands. Becky and Sophia looked on warily as the blurry thing finally paused. Veronica was astounded. It was a little girl. She had a thick ponytail of dirty blonde hair and was probably only eight-years-old. Her clothes stood out. The child, presumably Camilla, wore mismatched brown and white socks, her overalls a light blue. There was a large bow on top of her head, fluffy and white. The girl was breathless but that didn't stop her from shrieking when footsteps sounded. Camilla ran behind Veronica.

"Camilla!" A red-faced woman ran toward their direction, doing the best she could in high heels.

Camilla emitted another squeal.

"You're in big trouble, little miss," the woman snarled. She moved behind Veronica and picked up the blonde in her arms. "You have some nerve, doing that."

"Grace!" Vinnie cried out. The saleswoman shuffled to the group. A few customers began to look on. "What's happening?"

"Camilla happened, that's what," Grace said. "She was fooling around in the jackets' section and knocked over a mannequin."

"That isn't so bad," Vinnie poked lightly.

"Oh, I'm not done. When the mannequin fell, it smashed into a case with the necklaces," Grace snapped. "A _glass_ case. Three precious stones managed to fall off one of them."

Vinnie moaned. "Camilla, you little monster. I've told you a thousand times, you aren't allowed to play in the store. Go back to your auntie."

"I can't," the girl whined. "I'm a monkey and this is my jungle; I gotta stay in the jungle."

Veronica couldn't help but smile. Children was cute when they were small.

"I never saw a rainbow monkey before in my life," Grace pointed out. Grace and Vinnie looked over her clothes.

"The white is marshmallow," Camilla said, gesturing to her large bow. "I forgot what blue stood for."

"Okay, you're a monkey," Vinnie said. "Let's get you back to Auntie Amanda." Grace whisked the girl away. Customers went back to their shopping, a few murmuring about how cute the girl looked.

"I'm sorry," Vinnie said, turning to them. Her face was a tad pink. "Camilla's aunt works here and sometimes she brings her over. Camilla's very energetic. I hope she didn't ruin your jeans."

"It's all right. And no, she didn't ruin them," Veronica assured her.

"Well…thank you for shopping," Vinnie said hastily.


	19. Prompt 052: Mask

_**A/N:** This chapter was a real twit to me. Just wanted to get that off my chest._

* * *

Prompt 52 : Mask

Dave plucked a key from his jacket pocket and slid it into the keyhole. He couldn't wait to be embraced by the comfort of the apartment. Nothing would be better than to change his clothes and get into bed. He had finished his homework at Arcana Cabana, so he definitely had the option of sleeping.

"Bennet?" Dave called. No reply, which was exactly what he was hoping for. He didn't feel like having a roommate around today; Bennet was a good friend yet his personality would wear Dave down even more. He closed the door, and as soon as he did, Tank was at his heels.

The pudgy dog barked with happiness as he followed Dave into the kitchenette. Dave hadn't seen Tank for quite some time because Bennet had been taking care of him ever since he wound up in the hospital. Dave might have acquired amnesia, but that didn't change his feelings for his dog. He picked Tank up and let himself be licked. He poured Tank's dog food into his bowl and then retreated to the sofa. Becky would've called him a pushover for letting him eat so much.

Becky's name brought a flood of appointments into his head. He groaned at the thought of having to face his busy schedule. After spending a whole Sunday with his father, Dave was forced to add another meeting to his calendar. He already had training days and studying, as well as accompanying Veronica to the catering place. Not to mention going on a date with Becky. Dave was eagerly looking forward to his date with Becky and liked spending time with his father, but the numerous dates consumed much of his time.

Dave turned his head lazily and watched Tank work his way through the dog food. He sure could eat. Dave was going to have to head to the pet store, on top of everything else. With so much to do, Dave couldn't wait till he graduated. But that was going to be a long time from now, so he had to wait.

He didn't get to changing his clothes as planned, but he did fall asleep. After classes, homework, and training, Dave was exhausted enough to lose consciousness right on the couch.

Dave was in a dream now. He had a feeling in the back of his head that it was a dream, but everything looked so real. It was like he was looking at a photograph, except the person in the picture was _him._ He was at the radio station where Becky worked. Dave was outside the glass-covered recording room. There was another Dave in there, along with a brunette. They looked angry with one another. Before Dave could figure out what happened, he was in another room. The double Dave was in the apartment's bathroom, staring at the mirror. He was clearly upset and tired. There were circles under his eyes. Dave was brought into another location. This time, it was in Arcana Cabana. Dave's jaw dropped at the scene. There was a blonde woman fighting with Dave while Becky stood in the background. The door was open and she was halfway out. A great deal of hesitance shone in her eyes.

Someone was shaking him. Dave's eyes flew open and he gasped. A woman was next to him. She released his shoulders and stood up, cautious. Her red hair and face were all too familiar—

"You!" Dave cried out, because it was the only thing he could think of. He sputtered about. "You're the one who kidnapped me!"

"How many times do I have to say it? Escorting," the woman pronounced, carefully stringing along the syllables. "Now, I told you I was coming for your answer. Which is…?"

"It's a no," Dave snapped. Tank, who had gone off somewhere, now came trotting through his bedroom door into the living room. Dave threw a look at him and then at the redhead. Before he could sort out his thoughts Dave created a plasma bolt and threw it at her. She whirled to the right, her coat blowing out from behind her. The plasma bolt smashed something from the shelf. Glass littered the floor.

"Pardon me if this sounds cliché, but is that the best you can do? I thought the Prime would've had more training by now."

Dave did what Balthazar taught him to do: make a plasma bolt and fire, then throw up a shield. He let another blue bolt fly at her. He didn't stick around to see the reaction. Instead, he bolted to his bedroom. Tank ran after him, barking wildly. Dave locked the door hurriedly. His eyes flitted around, searching for his cell phone.

There was harsh banging against the door. "I don't want to ruin a perfectly good door!" the redhead's voice shouted. "Open up and come out like a civilized gentleman."

Dave opened the first drawer, found nothing, and slammed it shut. He moved to the second one and there it was, his cell phone! Dave grabbed it and scrolled through the address book. The banging had stopped, so it worried him that she might be planning an attack. Tank continued to bark, which wasn't helping.

Dave dialed Balthazar's number. "Pick up," he hissed.

And then something large and blurry flew past him. It landed against the bedroom wall. A large crack ran through the middle of the door. Splintered wood fell. The window had lost a majority of its glass. Dave shot the door a panicked look then whipped around to see the woman. She was in front of him, so close that Dave couldn't even try to attack. Tank growled at her, jumping up and down crazily.

"Shut up," she said matter-of-factly. Tank didn't stop but she didn't pay any more attention to him. She trained her eyes of him. Dave could feel the chill run down his back. He was completely frozen, not due to fear, but tension. The redhead wasn't doing anything but staring at him; it bothered him that only Tank's barking filled the room.

Finally, Balthazar picked up. Both eyes flew to the phone as they heard the first word come out of his mouth.

"Dave, what's the matter?"

They both did not move. Dave wondered what would happen if he answered.

"_Dave._ What is going on?" Balthazar demanded, an edge entering his voice. "Talk to me. Right now."

She grabbed his phone and threw it to the floor. Dave watched, shocked, as she lifted her foot and stomped on it mercilessly. His two hundred dollar cell phone was reduced to broken bits and unidentified pieces.

"You said I was free to say no," Dave said, his heart pounding away like a jackhammer.

"You were free to say no to the deal," she said smoothly. "So my new deal is this: you help me without getting anything in return. I don't accept refusals."

Dave tried to make another plasma bolt. She grabbed his wrists, ruining his attempt. She leaned in, a little smile playing on her lips. Dave blinked. He knew that he was going to have to help her now, no matter what. Like she mentioned before, she knew so much about him. Dave would help her, but he wouldn't let her have any satisfaction over knowing so.

She whispered to him, "Should've taken the deal" and at that moment, he slid on an invisible mask.


	20. Prompt 023: Dragon

Prompt 23 : Dragon

"You do realize," Dave began sullenly, "that Balthazar's looking for me, don't you?" He snuck a glance at the woman. She was staring straight ahead, hands clasped firmly on the steering wheel; she looked completely indifferent to his present announcement.

"So you've broken the silent treatment," she said, sounding a bit smug. "I knew it."

Dave merely glared at her, seeing as he couldn't say or do anything else. After she smashed his cell phone, she magically forced him into her car, using another charm to ensure he wouldn't react like a normal victim would. Dave attempted to free himself but the magic made sure he stayed put. He basically retreated to old-fashioned silent treatment in the end.

"Sir Blake won't be looking for you," she continued, oblivious to his sulky state. "I didn't predict what would happen; I'm not that good. But I had the wits about me to send a doppelgänger. Right now, it's probably giving the excuse of having no idea where the Incantus was, thus the reason for the call."

_It,_ Dave thought.

"Your dog was annoying. Stupid mutt kept on barking."

Tank! He'd forgotten about him completely. He had been too caught up in his own misery. Guiltily, Dave demanded, "What did you do to Tank?"

"Well, little Tank was shut up with a simple sound spell," she replied. "Useful when you need someone to be quiet. Did it while you were magically going to the car. I assume you've never learned the spell?"

Dave didn't speak. They both already knew the answer.

The silence didn't last long. "Balthazar's not going to trust a doppelgänger," Dave murmured, peeking out the car window. The sky was a dark shade of black, hiding their surroundings. "He's smarter than that."

"I bet he is. But doppelgängers never give off traces of magic, so he won't be able to detect you—us—in time."

"In time?" Dave repeated. So many meanings for that.

"After we finish taking care of my problem," the woman corrected. "That's what I meant." She changed the subject abruptly. "You haven't a clue about doppelgängers either, huh? Balthazar probably only taught you plasma bolts and meager shields. It's like he left you vulnerable on purpose."

Dave's temper flared. "Vulnerable people wouldn't be able to kill Morgana," he said flatly, trying his best to keep his blood temperature down. "He trained me to do that, and her death was the result. Think about that."

He was hoping she'd lapse into silent musings, but now she was looking directly at him. She was still driving, and her glance was only sideways, yet it was still full of intent. Dave wondered if this was how a mouse felt when the eagle approached.

"Yes," she said suddenly. "I suppose you're right."

Her unexpected response stunned him. It kept him quietly pondering during the entire drive. This time, thankfully, the silence did last.

Eventually, the car stopped. It was at the same moment that a feeling of dread filled Dave. He looked at the woman. She was no longer relaxed and comfortable as she was before. The atmosphere circling around them grew incredibly tense. Dave swallowed, wondering if opening the car window would help; of course, the magic binding him would refuse him that action.

"Listen," she said. Her tone was humorless. From the serve, sharp appearance of her black eyes, Dave could tell that things were heading downhill. "Right now, we're parked in front of a club. It's packed with people in there, ranging from humans to a few of the supernatural. We'll go through the back as not to bring any attention to ourselves, but someone will surely notice. We're going to meet up with some people. After a couple of greetings, I'm going to do something. A signal, so to speak, for you to throw a plasma bolt at door near the counter. You'll see it."

"How do I know what's this signal?" Dave demanded as the redhead opened their car doors. Dave hurriedly got out and met up with her on the other side of the car. She tucked her hands into her coat pockets.

"You'll know," she told him. "Now come."

Knowing the spell wouldn't allow him to flee, Dave unwillingly followed her. The front of the club looked like any club. Over the black entrance hung a sign. Neon lights spelled out Rave. Dave wanted a closer look, but he was magically pulled further. They both trekked around the side of the club. It looked like a sidewalk, except graffiti and slur words covered the ground. The redhead whipped around a corner. Dave had to jog to catch up. Eventually, they came to a stop. There was an opening in the middle of a thick gray wall, but it was covered with a small gate.

The woman used the same technique from the time Dave was manacled. A thin blur of fire fleshed from her fingertips. She sliced it back and forth. The gate's thin bars melted away quickly. The material that made these bars had been weak, inefficient. But she didn't melt all of them; there was only enough space to squirm through.

"In," she ordered. Dave hesitated, but did as he was told. He ducked into the tiny gaping hole. He was glad he was a stick; he fit perfectly. The woman slipped in less gracefully but at least she made it. She hurried down the thin alleyway, her head bobbing up and down. Dave matched her pace. With every step, the worry in Dave's chest expanded.

They came before a door. It was locked with silver chains. She snorted, shaking her head.

"Now what?" Dave asked warily.

"Now," she said, "we wait."

Approximately ten minutes flew by. The door rattled and opened. A head poked out. The man was dark-skinned and had a grayish-white beard. Thin hairs covered his nearly-bald head. He was wearing a red flannel shirt, something that wasn't usually worn to a club.

"The whole gang's 'ready here," he said, chuckling. Some of his teeth were missing, Dave noticed.

"Thanks for the heads up," she said crisply. She ushered Dave inside.

"Someone accompanyin' you, eh, Addy?" he asked, still smiling. "Knew you'd have 'nother male acquaintance by now."

She said nothing to this. After getting inside, the door was locked once more. The man that had let them in left them. He went through a crowd and disappeared. Dave surveyed the place. It really was packed. There were too many people to count. They wore different colors and different articles of clothing, confusing his eyes. To make matters worse, there were lights flashing out. Artificial smoke floated around their ankles. _Dry ice,_ Dave noted.

"I almost forgot," she said silkily. "Refer to me as Miss Adelaide in all cases. Makes the deception easier."

Dave blinked. Did she just really give her name away? Adelaide. It sounded aged, uncommon. Dave suddenly wondered how old Adelaide was.

He felt a sharp tug at his wrist. He saw that Adelaide was pushing him to move. They weaved their way throughout thick crowds of people. Dave frequently snuck glances. She claimed there would be humans and the supernatural, yet no one really stood out yet…except for the Tinkerbell-esque fairy that was playing with the lights overhead.

"Faster," she hissed into his ear. Dave jumped and doubled his pace. Soon, they stopped by the bar counter. The man was there, speaking with a young bartender. He caught Dave's eyes and offered a kind smile.

There were a gang of people by the bar counter. Two stood while the other lounged on a stool. She was easily the youngest. Dave wanted further analysis but was pulled in their direction.

Shortly after coming in closer contact, the youngest one announced, "We've been waiting."

"Fashionably late," Adelaide said smoothly.

"Who's this?" the eldest one inquired. She curiously looked Dave over. An interest began to form in her eyes.

"You're not allowed to bring anyone into the fold, Adelaide," the second man murmured. The fourth, the one who hadn't spoken since they'd arrived, merely shook his head in agreement.

"He's not a friend of any sorts," said Adelaide. "He's my attendant."

"He waits on you?" the youngest girl asked, intrigued. "Doesn't look like he'd survive a day with Morganians."

_Wait?_ Dave thought. They must have believed he was a servant. Dave didn't know Morganians had servants. Then again, he didn't know much of his own kin. Dave was going to buckle down and study when he got out of this.

"Well, there weren't many options," Adelaide returned with somewhat of a cold shoulder. "I was told there was debt involved?"

"Right this way," the youngest said happily. She hopped off the stool and walked away. The group began to follow. Dave went forward, but he didn't feel so good about leaving the presence of people. He looked back. There was a glass door near the counter. Dave froze. A door near the counter. He was going to have to throw a plasma bolt at that door.

Dave reluctantly went back to the group. Adelaide lingered behind a few spaces. The little girl eventually paused before another glass door. She opened it and offered entrance to the others. They slid in. Dave was the only one who hesitated.

"Go on," a gentle voice whispered in his ear. Dave whirled around. It was Adelaide. Dave didn't think she'd be capable of such a tone.

The inside of the room wasn't so bad. The walls were beige and a single light bulb hung from the ceiling. There was a young girl in the middle of the room. She was standing, worry in her eyes. She wrung her hands every once in a while.

"You owe us money," the eldest said. "It hasn't come."

"I was almost done—"

"Liar," the second said. "We caught you trying to flee the town."

The young girl didn't answer.

"David," Adelaide called sharply. "Go outside with Alice until I call you."

"All right, Miss Adelaide," Dave said, a little sarcasm coloring his tone. He left with the youngest, Alice.

The door closed gently. Alice looked cute. She had brown hair and brown, large eyes.

"I'm Alice," the girl chirped. "I've been with these guys for two months."

Two? Not so long. "Hello, Alice," Dave answered tentatively.

"Can I ask a question?"

Dave wasn't sure how to reply. It didn't matter, because Alice was already talking.

"Did you and her do it?" Alice asked.

"_What?"_ This little girl was too juvenile to know that term. She looked like she was ten!

"You know," Alice giggled, breaking into a grin. "Adelaide has lots of boys with her. You're just another one. She always makes them her servants, and then she pretends to love them."

Dave stared at her, stunned beyond belief. He struggled to get his emotions back on track. Finally, he got ahold of his tongue. "Alice," he said with difficultly, "Miss Adelaide…and I… We aren't in a relationship."

"Oh. Okay." Disappointment flooded her face. But after a minute, she perked up. "Maybe not now, but later." Another giggle.

The door sharply opened. Dave jumped, yet Alice stayed to the ground. She was bored now. She appeared to be used to this.

Adelaide came out, walking as quick as before. Her coat's edge bounced up and down. She didn't look mad, but frustrated. The others came out. The girl who had the debt was in between two. She looked completely frightened. Dave felt pity for her.

Adelaide's eyes traveled from the girl in debt to him. Dave suddenly felt like the spotlight was trained on him. He squirmed a bit. Alice noticed and tried to keep a smirk off her face.

Adelaide took a decisive step forward. The others were too absorbed with the girl to pay any attention to them. They were whispering in low voices. Dave couldn't hear what they were talking about. He felt his panic heighten when Adelaide's hand shot out to touch the back of his head. She caught a curl and twisted it softly in her fingers. Alice looked positively delighted.

And then he saw her eyes. There was no warmth or affection there. Nothing to indicate she had feelings for him. Instead, a sharp black filled her eyes. Dave's own eyes widened when the realization dawned on him. The signal.

He didn't know what to do and didn't want to try anything. But Adelaide had placed a charm on him to ensure he would act. Before he knew it, a plasma bolt was formed in his hands. He shot it at the glass door near the counter.

The glass shattered. It decorated the floor, sparkling more honestly than the bright lights. A low murmur rippled throughout the crowd. Dave felt ice flood his veins. What had just happened? Did he just expose the long-kept secret?

Dave turned his head at Adelaide. A smirk graced her lips.

A low tremble rocked the ground beneath everyone's feet. Screams began to sound. Some people thought it was an earthquake. Adelaide grabbed Dave's shoulders and sharply tugged him a few feet away from the group. Dave peeked at them; they didn't look scared, but there was some worry.

In that moment, the trembling stopped. Instead, a large portion of the club wall was thrown back. Bricks, shredded paint, and other debris collapsed to the floor. People began to stream through the front entrance, shouting and running in their haste. Dave's own jaw dropped a considerable amount of inches when he saw the creature coming through the gaping hole.

Thick, slime-covered scales covered the surface of the body. Large flesh and muscle could be seen despite the scales. A long neck poked out, complete with a head. Green luminous eyes were set into the head along with two curled horns. Black, sleek wings came out from the body. Weeds clung from the wings.

"Makes Sun-Lok's dragon look like an ant," Adelaide breathed.

Dave craned his neck to see what was happening, but Adelaide wasn't having that. She dragged him away from the chaos. Dave heard odd noises as he was being tugged towards another door. Snaps. Breaks. The kind of sounds broken bones made…

The man in the flannel shirt was there. He was shaking his head, but he seemed amused. "Ah, Addy, you're costin' me a thousand dollars' worth of damage," he complained. Adelaide murmured a hushed apology.

They went through the door. Adelaide shut it just by waving her hand. She turned around, ultimately breathless. Her hair looked frizzier than before. Her eyes were wild with excitement.

"Dragon's killin' it out there," the man said appreciatively. "Back where I come from, dragons are just stuff of legends."

"Most legends are considered true," Adelaide replied. "What do you think of that, servant?"

"Don't call me that," Dave snapped. "And it isn't funny. People are being murdered." He hadn't thought about murders before, actually. His main focus had been on the current situation. Guilt settled in.

"The dragon's killing people," Dave said slowly. "Because of me."

"Well, partially 'cuz of you," the man said. "Addy here has got it trained. Made sure it'd get rid of the chosen _targets_, per se, but doesn't mean it can't make mistakes."

"This is Lamar," Adelaide introduced. More shrieks erupted from the club, now accompanied with breaking glass. "I think the damage is finally done. Lamar, your pay will be on the counter."

"Better cover the fixing," Lamar grunted but his tone was gleeful. Adelaide opened the door. Dave ran out. His eyes flitted over the outcome. Broken china and glass littered the floor. There was no blood, thankfully. The club was empty. Dave had never seen so much free space. The dragon was missing. Dave suddenly caught sight of a pathetic lump on the floor. He hurried over to the thing. He realized it was the young girl, the one who had been in debt to the Morganians.

Dave checked her pulse. It was difficult to detect. The girl's arms covered her face. He tried to remove them as gently as he could. She moaned with each movement. Dave gasped when he saw the slash across her throat. Blood seeped out at a swift pace. Dave felt nauseous. He bit his lip; he didn't know how to heal her. He had revived Balthazar, but his master had no cuts or scrapes. Dave's hands flew from spot to spot, trying futilely to help her.

"No use, Prime." He looked over his shoulder. Adelaide was standing above him, arms crossed against her chest. She wrinkled her nose in obvious distaste, as if a dying girl was ruining the scenery.

"Why the hell are you just standing around?" Dave shouted. "Help her! You said you're a healer!"

"I am," she said icily.

"So help her! You know how to do it, right?"

Her eyes regarded him carefully. "I can help you. But I would have to get something in return."

"Why do you always _want_ something?" Dave cried. "What can I possibly give you? Money? What do you _want?_"

"…I want you," she said quietly.

"_What?"_ Dave cried more out of shock rather than anger.

"Not in a perverse way," Adelaide sighed. "I mean I want you for servitude. You might be good at it."

"S-Servitude! Are you for real!"

"The blood's leaking quite quickly, Prime," she said. "She's going to die in a matter of minutes."

Dave cursed mentally. This left him no option. He had to do this. He owed this young girl. Had he fought against Adelaide in the beginning, he wouldn't have ended up being kidnapped and magically forced into releasing a dragon. This girl wouldn't have ended up dead—well, not by his hand. This was all his fault; he hadn't been so stupid and reckless as to go with her in the first place.

Dave was a lot of things, but he wasn't a Morganian.

Lightly taking hold of the girl's hand, he whispered, "Okay."

"Swear it. Hold my hand and swear on your life."

He clasped her hand with his right. "I swear on my life," he said, short of breath.

"Do you swear to be my attendant until I dismiss you?" Adelaide asked. Her eyes flickered to the near-dead body of the girl.

"I swear!"

The reaction was unforeseen. A surge of fire raced through Dave's veins. It felt as if all the adrenaline was coming from Adelaide's grip. Dave's arm jerked about, unused to the energy in his body. He gasped, and fell back. Propping himself up by his elbows, Dave was just in time to see Adelaide lean in and heal the girl. The slash against her throat sealed up. The color returned to her face. The small bruises disappeared too. The girl's eyes flashed open. She began coughing.

Getting up slowly, the girl said uncertainly, "But my throat…"

"Healed," Adelaide said breezily, waving her hand. "Done. You're free to go."

The girl looked stunned. She began to talk, bewildered, but Adelaide shooed her away. The girl bowed her head. Dave wondered what she was thinking about. She probably had no idea what Dave had just given up.

The doors shut loudly as the girl ran away from the gruesome scene. Adelaide sighed and stepped back. She flung her hands up in the air and cried, "I suppose I'll need to take you back now."

"…I don't understand."

"You helped me. Fabulous. Now I need to take you back to the apartment."

"You did a fine job, Addy," Lamar laughed from the counter. He poured himself a drink. "Didn't think you could pull it off."

"Why did you even need me here?" Dave demanded. "Couldn't you have released the dragon yourself?"

"I could. But then how would I be able to get my desired servant?" Adelaide nudged a shard of glass with her foot. She sighed.

Wait. What did she say? Dave's mind raced.

"You set me up!"

"Set up is a cruel choice of words, lovely," she returned. "Let's try something less critical, hmm?"

"_Asshole,"_ Dave hissed through grounded teeth.

"Asshole is right."


	21. Prompt 077: Lust

Prompt 77 : Lust

If anyone had asked Balthazar how he found escape to his current situation, he would have easily replied, "Veronica." And vice versa. When the sun set and it was time for everyone to retreat to bed, Balthazar felt as if nothing truly mattered. With her, he forgot easily about the important things, like finding Merlin's ring or curing his apprentice's amnesia. He supposed it had to be the separation that had lasted for over a century.

They were in bed a little bit early; not a big surprise. They had been thinking about normal matters, curled up in the sheets and next to one another.

"We need to get a house," Veronica sighed. "We can't live in Arcana Cabana all the time."

"We'll go house-hunting after the wedding," Balthazar said, but he wasn't so sure how the order of things would go. "But we'll need jobs."

"I thought you had the money to pay for the wedding," Veronica murmured.

"I do. I'm just mentioning we need jobs. Money isn't going to simply fall into our hands."

Veronica sighed, leaning further into the pillows. "What jobs would suit us? Who's going to hire people with little experience in this world?"

"I wouldn't say 'little experience'," Balthazar said. "We're both excellent sorcerers mastered in the arts…and then some."

"I didn't mean it that way," she responded, laughing. Then she paused. "Do you suppose I could apply for a job? Or begin my own business?"

"A bakery would hire you," Balthazar said. "Your cooking is superb."

"I don't think any spots are open. What about you?"

"I might stick with Arcana Cabana," Balthazar replied. "I could clean it up a bit—"

"A _bit?_ How about a lot? You can barely move around in here."

"All right; I'll clean it up a lot. I need to stock up on things people will actually buy…"

"Like furniture?" Veronica asked.

"…Maybe something other than furniture."

"Furniture is safe. Like cradles and couches."

Balthazar eyed her. "Cradles are considered to be furniture?"

"Speaking of babies," Veronica said, "what would you think if we had one?"

Balthazar coughed. He wasn't sure what to say to her. "Well, I wouldn't mind raising a child. I always wanted for us to have a regular household. Settle down, have children, grow old."

"I like children," Veronica murmured. "My mother said I was good with them. Remember that little girl in the dress shop?"

"How could I forget? She was a wild thing."

"Wasn't she cute?" she demanded.

"Camilla was cute," Balthazar mused. "I haven't been around kids lately. Mostly adults. My encounter with a ten-year-old Dave didn't go so well, as you recall."

"You told me." Did Veronica just cringe? "We might consider the possibility of children since we're active."

"Of course. But I'm so old-looking…as Dave says," Balthazar grumbled. His tone immediately switched to teasing. "Can you imagine wanting me when I get older?"

Veronica took the question seriously. Her eyebrows inched together and three lines spread across her smooth forehead. She wasn't thinking about it, but she was about to answer with much honesty.

A phone buzzed. Balthazar didn't need to get out of bed. His cell phone had been placed right on the nightstand. Balthazar plucked the phone and gave a swift glance at the screen. _Dave calling,_ it said. He picked up.

"Dave, what's the matter?" he asked.

No answer. Balthazar's eyes narrowed. He wondered what were the chances this call was accidental.

"_Dave._ What is going on?" he demanded. He could hear his voice grow sharper. There was no reply. "Talk to me. Right now."

Suddenly, the line went dead.

"Something's wrong," Veronica said immediately.

"Very, very wrong. We need to get to the apartment."

.

.

.

"I'm sorry," Dave said, laughing it off. He ran his hand through his hair. He did look abashed, what with the red all over his face. "I-I had no idea Tank was playing with my phone. I just went to change and then came back to see him drooling all over it."

Balthazar groaned, frustrated. "Dave. You had me really worried there. Do you know what I thought? I thought you were in trouble."

"I said I'm sorry," Dave mumbled. "It won't happen again. Sheesh."

.

.

.

"So it was his dog?" Veronica questioned as they both returned to their bed. "Hmm."

"Tank has been known for his rash tendencies," Balthazar offered.

"Balthazar? What ever happened to my answer?"

He was about to ask what she was talking about, but then it all came back to him, bit by bit. "Oh," he finally said. "Well…I already know."

"We'll always want one another. That's the best thing about true love," Veronica said, smiling.

As the lights turned off, Balthazar thought that lust and love did come over age.


	22. Prompt 088: Wood

_**A/N:** It's been a time since I updated; apologies, apologies. It was some glitch with my computer, so that works well in my defense._

* * *

Prompt 88 : Wood

A soft thud rang. Ezra whipped around sharply, a plasma bolt ready in his hands. He saw a young blonde girl at the end of the room. Becky, he thought. She was wearing light blue pajamas and her hair was in a ponytail.

"Hi," she offered sheepishly.

Ezra shook his head and dispelled the plasma bolt. He returned to his seat and tried to keep his eyes focused on the book. But the presence of the human girl was unnerving. He didn't have any problems with humans, believed some of them were decent; people like Theodore Roosevelt…Scarlet Johansson (he was a man, after all). Ezra just didn't like hovering. If Ms. Barnes had anything to say, she'd better say it.

A chair screeched the floor. Ezra nearly jumped. Turning his head, he saw the blonde joining him at the table. He could have grunted, or given any other hint that he wanted privacy. He didn't, though.

"So…," she began.

"…So," Ezra finished coolly. He sensed she was trying to get her words out of her mouth, yet was having a few troubles. He wasn't going to interfere.

"Robert Frost."

He hadn't expected _that._ "Frost?" Ezra repeated.

"Yes," Becky said, leaning in closer. Ezra was about to protest about personal space, but he saw that she was attempting to peek at the book. "I think this is one of his poems."

"It is. You a fan of him?" His surprise must have broken through his firm shield, because Becky smiled warmly and nodded.

"I learned about this one in eighth grade. English class, of course." He pushed the book so both of them got a fair look. "I'm not obsessed with poetry, but Frost's work is pretty good. Besides, sometimes studying it helps with lyrics."

"This one is titled _Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening_," Ezra said, tapping a tiny sentence on the page. "Hard to see, which is annoying. Are you into songwriting?"

"No, I like songs and playing them. I'm a music major at NYU," Becky explained. "Another music major, who does write songs, says that poetry and music mingle sometimes. It helps her."

"I see," Ezra said, and he honestly did. Poetry, especially good ones, flowed with an easy grace. Rhythm and a current beat was always kept in poems that required rhyming.

"How come you're here?" she asked softly. "I don't want to sound rude or anything… I just thought you would be with the other trackers."

"Ah. That's where you're wrong, Becky," Ezra replied. She didn't sound surprised he'd used her first name. "They're good people, sure. But I don't actually enjoy "hanging out" with a single mother, a reckless kid, and a guy wiser beyond his years."

Becky bit her lip. "I guess if you don't like that kind of company…"

"It's complicated," Ezra told her truthfully. He abruptly changed the subject. "Arcana Cabana isn't my place. I get that. I like how peaceful it is. The hotel doesn't offer much security and I really just need a place…to think."

"I understand," she said, and it sounded like she did. "I need space sometimes too. To think."

"This problem's bugging you, huh?" He tried for a kind, gentle tone. The one that Veronica used. He failed; he wasn't the one to take on the maternal voice.

"It is. It's hard for everyone." She looked back at the poetry book. "How does poetry tie into thinking?"

"Poetry helps me think. I don't look at it as much as I used to, partially because I'm busy working and I've got other matters. I used to write songs, and poetry helped a lot," Ezra confessed to her. He wasn't sure why he was giving her all these extra details. He could've simply said the poems assisted in thinking. But Ezra was running his mouth to this young girl. Maybe he was lonely. Well, lonelier than usual.

"I like this one," Becky mused. She didn't seem to think his ramblings were odd. She accepted them naturally.

"I personally believe the woods are the best part." Oops. That part had slipped out.

"Mm? The woods? How come?"

"I dunno," Ezra answered. He shrugged. "The woods just appeal to me."

"'The woods are lovely, dark and deep,'" Becky quoted. She cocked her head lightly. Ezra blinked. She sort of looked like little Camilla when she did that.

"Maybe it's because it has to do with woods," Ezra muttered, speaking more to himself than her. "I used to be a lumberjack some time back; that could be the reason."

"A lumberjack?" Her tone was colored with surprise.

"Yeah, yeah, I know I don't look like the type. Too lanky," he sighed, waving a hand. "But I used to cut down trees. I needed a secure job, and that was the only one offered during those times. Luckily for me, I got another job as a bartender. That beat chopping wood any day."

"Wow," Becky said. "Lumberjacking, bartender...tracker. You had a lot of jobs, huh?"

"I needed the money," he said gruffly. His insides suddenly turned uneasily. "Look, I'm keeping you up. I think I should put this back and go."

"You don't have to leave," she said, abashed. "If it was something _I_ said—"

"No, no, it wasn't you," Ezra snapped. He immediately regretted his harsh tone. Tightly shutting his eyes, he exhaled sharply. "I have to go. Sleep well, Becky."

"Thanks. You too."

He resisted the urge to sneak a glimpse at her; he wanted to know whether she was doing that thing Camilla did when he had to leave. A half-concerned look. But he didn't check. Ezra got up, magically waved the book back to the shelf, and left the protective walls of Arcana Cabana.


	23. Prompt 045: Jousting

Prompt 45 : Jousting

"Your horse is beautiful," Lilith sighed, her eyes fixated on the brown, majestic animal.

Adelaide knew this was true. She'd said it so many times herself. But the mannerly response was required, of course. "Thank you. As is yours."

Lilith threw a quick glance over her shoulder. It was surely directed towards Lilith's own horse, which was as light as her hair. It was indeed a pretty thing for a horse, yet there was no power or dominance there. Just a weak, handsome horse whose bones would snap with the most childish spell.

"The outfit is heavy. Is it not, Adelaide?" Lilith questioned politely as she quietly moved back to her steed.

"I can manage," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. It did feel heavy, what with the thick layers of metal sealed together. The pads and mechanisms annoyed Adelaide, but the protection was needed in their match. Heads got knocked off too easily these days.

"I do hope so," her friend called from on top her horse, "because it would be a shame if you toppled off your steed."

I bet so, Adelaide thought happily. She mounted herself on top of her own beauteous horse and settled. Heaving up the lance, she emitted a thin battle cry in the moment of pure energy.

The pounding of hooves rattled the ground. With her grin concealed, Adelaide smugly thought that her companion's horse was doing complete justice. It was as vulnerable as she predicted it to be. Adelaide aimed her lance, prepared and confident. But as soon as they came in proper contact with one another, the dream ended immediately, cutting off the winner.

In bed, Adelaide rolled over and glanced at the clock. She knew who had won that day and the conversation had gone much friendlier than the one in her dream. Adelaide didn't care to try to understand why she was thinking about the memory now; possibly because she already knew the answer.

.

.

.

"So are we gonna go to the bar or not?" Bennet asked, shrugging his backpack strap higher above his shoulder.

Dave sighed. "Did I even drink?" He hadn't bothered to ask this question because it didn't occur to him; but now he thought he should start asking more personal questions about himself.

"Ehhh. Not a _lot._ Rarely. When it was the holidays, you had a really small amount of wine," Bennet said. "And I mean that in a bad way."

"What's the point of me going to the bar, then?" Dave muttered. The day had been long and irritating, what with the lectures from the professors and note-taking. It wasn't such a shock that Bennet eagerly wanted to head to the bar downtown; yet Dave was in no mood to travel anymore, let alone a bar.

Bennet shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. But I still need some guy time, man. I can't _always_ hang out with Marc an' Jake and Vick…"

"Uh-huh." But Dave's mind was wandering elsewhere. Now that time was mentioned, he was thinking a bit more about his date with Becky. It was today and they were planning on someplace peaceful. It wouldn't be peaceful for him though…not with his troubles. Dave had tried all during yesterday to try and contact Balthazar. Of course, Adelaide had made sure no such thing would happen.

"Yo, Dave, that chick's staring at us; know her?"

Dave's head rose in interest. Unfortunately, it was Adelaide staring at them, her eyes concealed by sleek sunglasses. Didn't change the fact she was looking straight at them, though. Her attire had been demoted to civilian wear. She looked no different from any other human.

"Look, Bennet, I think I'll go. I've got stuff to do for the date." If Adelaide was around, it had to be something bad. There was no way Dave was going to put his best friend in risk.

"Too late—she's already coming over." Bennet sounded like he was smirking.

"No," Dave half-squeaked.

"David," a warm voice greeted. Now that she was closer, Adelaide looked a little bit younger than the last time Dave had seen her. In fact, a lot younger. She appeared to be a few years older than him. Dave knew some form of magic had to be involved.

He mumbled a thick hello. Adelaide pleasantly spoke with Bennet, asking him if he could let them be alone for a couple of minutes. Bennet nodded and with a coy smile, was off, shouting, "See you later!"

They were alone among the cold wind and rustle of leaves. Dave chose not to make eye-contact. He settled for letting his eyes wander to the ground.

"He was such a gentleman," she said. A thin line of sarcasm laced her words.

"What do you want?"

"A much simpler question would be what I _don't_ want," Adelaide replied, a grin in her voice. "But since you're so eager, I'll cut to the chase."

Dave prepared himself.

"You did not say a word to your master, correct?"

Between gritted teeth, Dave said, "If I did, you would be caught by now."

"…I suppose you're right. Anyways, here's the thing: we're telling him."

This was a surprise. Dave immediately looked at her with his mouth halfway open. He stared at her with a shocked expression, but she wasn't fazed at all.

"I'm serious. I'm taking you to Balthazar to explain the whole matter."

"You're letting me go? Just like that?" Dave wondered. Or perhaps this was a trick. Maybe to toy with him, maybe to test him in some strange way. Dave didn't know. Adelaide did look serious. So this was for real, then? Something twisted in his stomach.

"I'm not letting you go _just like that_," Adelaide mimicked peevishly. "I worked hard to make sure I got a servant; do you know how difficult it is to find one?"

If he remembered correctly, the little girl Alice claimed a different story. "No," he said in a steely tone. "I wouldn't know, because I actually have some morals."

She waved this off indifferently. "I don't care what alleged morals you have, David. But we are going to go to wherever Blake's at. I'm still keeping you as my servant though."

"Why are you allowing me to tell him? I thought…"

Adelaide cut him off abruptly. "It's not so simple," she said. Pursing her lips, she continued, "If I didn't let you confess to Balthazar Blake, we would have only so much time to keep this a secret. Sooner or later, he'll find out. And I intend for his misery to come sooner."

Dave almost gasped. "So it's about misery," he hissed in a low voice, "isn't it? It's not about me as a servant or stupid slave—"

"Do not speak, Mr. Stutler." Her voice was sharp and icy as the serrated edge of a knife. "Don't talk like you know why I did it."

He didn't press further. There was a spark deep inside of him that pushed him, told him to go on and ensure he would get to see the reaction he expected. But there was a shimmer in her eyes that was anything but good, and Dave internally decided he shouldn't speak at all.


	24. Prompt 087: Painting

Prompt 87 : Painting

"I didn't think it would be that bad," Sophia giggled. She was referring to the harsh winds that had twisted her hair into a style so terrible, the image would now be drilled into Becky's mind.

"It was that bad," Becky responded, but a grin was on her face. "But not entirely."

"Not entirely? Gee, thanks."

Becky smiled at Sophia's complaint. As the entrance to Arcana Cabana came in closer view, she prepared her goodbyes. "See you later," she said as they began to part. "And thanks for the tickets!"

"Anytime!"

Becky pushed the door to Arcana Cabana, throwing a look over her shoulder. One of the trackers had been following them to ensure their safety, but she wasn't sure where he or she was. Becky bristled at the idea of someone listening in their private conversations, but there wasn't much she could do. She slipped into the shop, expecting somebody to be in sight.

She had received a text from Dave a couple of minutes after she'd been released from NYU. It told her he was going to be delayed with something having to do with his father. He would meet her at Arcana Cabana soon. Meanwhile, Becky decided to spend the short time before their date with Sophia. She got something out of it too.

But Dave wasn't on the first floor of Arcana Cabana. Becky shrugged and started up to the second floor of the shop. She blinked in surprise. Balthazar's comfortable study was now filled with a group of people. All furniture was gone, and only an elegant table sat in the middle of the room. Chairs were on either side of the table; at that moment, they were not empty. Balthazar, Veronica, and Dave himself were already seated. A woman with red hair was there as well. She was completely unfamiliar to Becky.

"Becky," Balthazar murmured. His voice was emotionless and Becky knew at once something was wrong. "Sit down. We have to discuss a matter with one another."

Becky opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but Veronica interrupted. "Becky, please. We'll answer your questions soon."

She wrinkled her nose as she strode over to grab a chair. Dave offered her one. Sliding in, she whispered a confused, "Hey."

"I'm sorry," was what came out.

_Sorry for what?_

"Dave sent you a text message?" Balthazar questioned.

"Yeah," Becky said.

"Okay." Balthazar turned to the redhead. "This is Adelaide. She is the person who helped Dave's attacker escaped." His words sounded cool and icy.

Becky, on the other hand, was anything but icy. She felt heat flood throughout her system. Her veins were ropes of controlled flames. Fixing her gaze on Adelaide, she said, "So why is she here?" She had to have some influence over herself, after all.

"Because she wants to help," Veronica said, placing a hand on Becky's shoulder. "Don't try anything rash yet, Becky."

_She's not happy either,_ Becky realized.

"Adelaide came to Arcana Cabana with Dave," Balthazar explained silkily. "We received similar text messages to meet him there. I wasn't expecting the extra tagalong, though." He sighed.

"I want to help," Adelaide said stiffly. "Well, something among those lines. But I think I got off the wrong start. The incredibly wrong start."

"I don't understand," Becky interjected.

"I did assist Dave's attacker," Adelaide said. "The one in the forest, the one disguising herself as the old lady in need."

"Ah," Becky said, unable to help herself. "The old lady trick. Works every time." Light sarcasm added nicely to her words.

"That's what I thought."

"Anyways," Veronica cut in, "she claims she only did it because they were friends with one another."

"Close companions," muttered Adelaide. "She and I knew one another. I suppose I really should tell you the whole story for you to actually get it."

"That would be helpful," Dave snapped. Becky suddenly wondered what she had to do with him. She had arrived with him, hadn't she?

"Her name's Lilith," Adelaide said. "She and I came into New York some time ago, but I can't remember the exact date. We had a man come to the apartment we were staying, didn't even give us his name. He warped his appearance many times. I didn't trust him and neither did Lilith, I'm sure. But she wanted the job he offered us."

"What job was that?" Balthazar asked sharply at the same time Becky said, "Why?"

"He promised us money," Adelaide continued, "among other things. Lilith and I rely on jobs like these, where we watch and such. The man wanted us to spy on Dave over here, but we weren't the ones who caused his amnesia. He came to us days after his attack. Gave us a few details but not everything in general. Lilith attacking the Prime was unplanned but he wanted to see what David was capable of. I rescued her merely because we were close."

"And then you ended up here?" Becky finished, raising her eyebrows.

"After searching for the Prime, yes." Adelaide shrugged her shoulders. "So now you have a valuable addition to your small lump."

"We have trackers," Dave said.

"As if they're much help," Adelaide snorted. "I'll stay where I want but you can have my number." She picked a strip of paper out of her coat pocket and dropped it on to the desk. "I'll drop by tomorrow for his training. Right now I have to go."

"And _how_ do we trust you?" Becky demanded.

"I don't know. But I'm sure you'll figure it out." With that, she pushed her red hair aside and…there was empty air. She was gone.

.

.

.

"So, um, how are we getting in?" Dave asked, shuffling from foot to foot.

"Sophia had tickets," Becky said, "and let me have them."

"I'm sure the paintings will be something," Dave offered. She merely nodded in response. She wasn't sure what she should have done or said to him. Right now, Becky was still confounded by Adelaide. She had so many questions about the woman but Dave couldn't have possibly had any answers. Becky thought they were going to go on a relaxing, peaceful date.

"I'm sorry."

"Adelaide found you and made sure you and her got to Arcana Cabana. She looks more experienced. You have nothing to apologize for, Dave."

He looked away. Becky frowned. She handed the tickets to the girl at the booth. They entered the museum awkwardly. Neither of them spoke as they made way into the first exhibit.

"Dave," Becky said.

"…Yeah?" She did not like the hesitance in his tone.

"None of this was your fault. Nothing. Not even if you think it was," Becky said softly. "I don't care what you think. You never really give up and I'm sure you would never allow anything to be your fault. Well, not in this situation. It was everyone else, so to speak. Not you."

He struggled with his words. He kept opening and closing his mouth, then reopening it. Dave finally bit down on his tongue. Gathering enough courage, he said, "It could be my fault."

"That isn't true. I don't believe it," Becky told him firmly. "You don't will any of this on yourself. We've both had enough in the last few months. It's irritating and frustrating. We need a real date."

"A real date? I'm sure some of those involve stress." Dave paused to half-admire a Vincent van Gogh piece.

She looked at it too, drinking in the dark colors. "No. Those dates are when neither of the couple are really focusing. Our dates were always special. I'm not letting one be ruined."

Becky turned and kissed him gently on the lips. He appeared to be shocked.

"Smile," Becky said, eyes on the Mona Lisa. "_She_ is."


	25. Prompt 093: Taste

**_A/N:_**_ Ugh, I haven't updated in forever. Sorry, but things have been busy._

* * *

Prompt 93 : Taste

"Derrick," Meg called from the kitchen, "your son just buzzed. Is this my cue to go?"

He jumped from his seat. Exiting his office, he hurried to the kitchen to check up on his assistant's progress. It smelled good there. He sniffed appreciatively, glad that he had her. Derrick could never officially cook on his own—he was terrible. But when he hired Meg, he learned about her numerous talents. Cooking was one of them.

"Thanks for all of this, Meg," he sighed. "You know I'm hopeless in the kitchen."

"Not entirely hopeless," Meg said, smiling. "But it was my pleasure. I didn't have anything else to do."

"Thanks anyways. You can take the back exit so David won't see you."

Meg frowned a bit. "Derrick. I'm not sure how well this will go from now on."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"About yourself in general… Is it right to keep the secret from him?"

Derrick felt a blanket of gloom settle over him. "I don't know. But I want to keep him safe. He shouldn't have to be bothered with that when he's got amnesia piled up on him."  
Meg didn't say anything more. The two exchanged goodbyes and after a parting glance, she slipped out through the back door. Derrick closed the door behind her with a click. He didn't want to think about what she said. He had been wondering about it before; adding on would make matters worse. Trying to shove it out of his head, he went to the kitchen to check on everything. The food were in their respective positions. Good old Meg.

A second buzz sounded. Derrick hurried to open the door. He was greeted by his son. Derrick was a little surprised by his appearance. He wore casual clothes and seemed healthy, but there were dark shadows under his eyes.

"Are you okay, David? You look…"

"I'm great," he replied. "I just didn't get enough sleep last night. I was studying with Becky."

Derrick invited him inside. David pulled off his jacket and hung it up. He turned towards the table in the kitchen.

"It looks good," he commented. "Did you make this all just for two people?"

Derrick decided not to lie. "Nope," he said. "It was Meg's handiwork."

"She's your assistant, right?"

"Yes, but I'm not a good cooker whereas her skills are superb," Derrick explained. "She made dinner for us."

"That was nice of her." They both sat down.

It was David who spoke first, much to Derrick's surprise. "I got my priorities in order," he said. "I bought a calendar and sorted out all the dates, so you, Becky, and I can meet up sometime."

"You know the exact date?"

"Yep. Saturday. Today's Tuesday, so that gives us both three days to prepare."

Derrick didn't know what to say afterwards, which made the moment awkward. Before it could tumble into extreme discomfort, he said, "Well, let's begin eating. I don't want Meg's food to go to waste."

They dined in a small silence. Sometimes they talked a bit. It wasn't what Derrick wanted or expected. He thought David would have a bundle of news to share with him, like he did when he was younger. But that was when he was a kid, he reminded himself, and he didn't do that in his teens. Derrick inwardly sighed.

David made some comments about the weather. Derrick said something back.

_This is going horribly,_ he thought stiffly. What could he say in order to lighten up things?

Then he noticed something. "Just a salad? Are you sure you're all right?" he inquired, eyes on his son's plate. He didn't have much on there.

"Didn't I tell you?" David asked, frowning. A smile broke out across his face. "Oh, yeah. Forgot to mention it. I'm going vegan."

"Vegan? Really?"

"Yep. I read some things about how they abuse the animals at the farms. And other stuff. Besides, that trip to the café put the idea into my mind," David said. "Is this weird? Did I eat meat a lot during my childhood?"

Poor kid didn't even know what he ate, Derrick thought. Amnesia. If only it would go away.

"Not a lot," Derrick answered. "Sometimes, of course, like most people, but not always. I never eat pork, though."

"Eh. Pork's not so great."

"Exactly." A pause as he wiped his mouth. "So I wanted to know something."

"What?" Did he imagine the wary tone of his son's?

"Balthazar and Veronica," Derrick said. "They're Becky's relatives, right?"

"Uh-huh. Aunt and uncle."

"They're names are a little…odd. Could I ask about that?"

David set down his glass. "Well… I'm not sure about their names. Balthazar's parents were into traditions. His roots trace back to the medieval times. And Veronica, well, her name's not so in-century, but her mother thought it would fit her."

"I see."

A beep. Derrick wrinkled his nose at the sound. Cell phones. The only reason he carried one around was for emergencies. He just hated how the phones these days came with extra features; wasn't the point of them simply for calling?

"Sorry," David apologized. He checked his phone quickly. His eyebrows knit together in confusion. He frowned, then put away the device.

"It's Becky," he said. "There's something happening back at her uncle's—Balthazar's—store and…"

He checked his phone again. He seemed more upset now.

"You need to go?" Derrick asked, feeling the gap between them pull even further.

"I'm sorry, Dad," he said. "But I really have to go."

"…Okay."

"The dinner tasted great! I'll thank Meg later! Thanks so much," he babbled as he got up, threw on his jacket, and opened the door. "I'll explain everything later!"


	26. Prompt 071: Conscience

Prompt 71 : Conscience

Dave stepped out of his father's apartment, and a gust of sharp, icy wind hit him in the face. He bit his lip to fight against the strength of the wind. As he fumbled with his cell phone, Dave couldn't help but feel recognition settle inside him. This was the exact street where he had—unpleasantly—met Adelaide. Dave punched a button, then beginning his text.

**Becky, you said it wasn't high-priority? **

The message came back rather quickly.

**It's not. Sorry if I interrupted anything. Just some guy broke into AC.**

Dave frowned. Broke in? Wasn't Arcana Cabana protected against that magically?

His cell beeped. **I'll call u. It'll b easier.**

Sure enough, his phone rung with the familiar ringtone. "Becky," he said. "So who broke in? Was it the blonde?" He thought about Balthazar and the trackers' run-in with her.

"No, it's a little kid. Okay, it all sounds weird, but I'll explain. Where are you right now?"

A little kid? How _strong_ were Arcana Cabana's defense systems? "I'm outside of my dad's place," he replied.

"Stay there," she ordered. "One of the trackers are going to pick you up."

"Okay."

"Don't hang up yet. Wait for the ride."

"I will," he promised her. Dave stood quietly for a couple of minutes. The only sound was his breathing, and possibly Becky's, but it couldn't quite be detected through the cell phone. He took it as sign she was still on with him. Finally, a car came barreling into view. It swerved around the corner and raced towards the sidewalk. Dave couldn't help but jump aside, although the car didn't run over him or anything else. It simply came to a stop. The car door slid open. The grinning face of Adelaide greeted him.

"Adelaide?" he cried, shocked.

"Oh, Dave," Becky said. "I forgot to mention that. She needed to go with her."

"Her?" Dave repeated, puzzled. "Why, wasn't a couple of trackers enough—"

The front door popped open. Dave didn't see the trackers. He didn't see any adults driving. It was Ilana, Jocelyn's daughter. The same daughter that wasn't allowed to participate in activities like this. Her hands gripped the wheel tightly. She was eighteen, but much too short to actually appear as one. She looked smaller in the car seat. Ilana seemed excited.

"Get in," Adelaide said. She moved onto the seat next to her, making room. Dave wrinkled his nose at the thought of sitting right next to her.

"C'mon," Ilana chirped. "We can't keep Mr. Blake or anyone else waiting."

_Right,_ Dave thought seriously. He clutched his cell phone tightly and got inside the car. After the doors were secured, Ilana began driving. He said Becky's name to make sure she was still there on the phone. She responded.

"I know you were dining with Derrick," she murmured. "Sorry about interrupting. But it is important, although the person isn't an adult."

"So what is actually going on? How could a kid break into Arcana Cabana, given the magical charms?" Dave inquired. "And how come Ilana's driving when Jocelyn didn't want her doing anything like this?"

"She's not the boss!" Ilana grumbled from the front. Adelaide smiled.

"Because her mother doesn't know," sighed Becky. She sounded like she was running her hand through her hair. Her tone was impatient. "The trackers are all busy with their own thing, minus Percival. Ezra is off talking to someone significant, as Percival says. He's the one with us right now. Sterling and Jocelyn are at the hotel, but no one has buzzed them yet. Percival's our info-guy right now. He says they were just sitting around. Balthazar and Veronica are here too. Ilana and Percival were coming over because Ilana wanted to get something from the store. They arrived right after the kid broke in."

"Oh," Dave said.

"Anyways, Veronica asked me to come over, because it might've concerned me. Balthazar's checking out the girl, since she might have that magical aura to her. Veronica stopped him; she thinks it might traumatize someone so young. Or at least scare her," Becky explained hurriedly. The car turned sharply. Dave banged his head against the door. Ilana apologized. "Dave? You okay?"

Adelaide snatched the phone away from him. "Yes, if you count a bloody head as okay."

"He's _bleeding_?"

"No," she said bluntly, as if she was bored with her joke. Maybe she was. Or maybe she didn't like Becky. "He's fine." She tossed Dave back his phone.

"Why is she here?" Dave grumbled to his girlfriend. He actually did want to know.

"Adelaide was with Balthazar and Veronica when it happened," Becky answered. "But she was told to go with Ilana."

"So what about the girl?"

"Veronica's soothing her, although she really isn't that afraid. The kid recognizes Veronica from the bridal shop," Becky sighed. "I forgot her name. When you arrive, Veronica will check her presence."

Dave waited. "Hold on," he suddenly realized. "Why do I have to come over, then, if it's just a child?" He didn't really see how this pertained to him. Adelaide snickered. She seemed to understand everything and was enjoying herself. Dave tried to ignore her; it was hard, especially since they made a little deal.

"Because she keeps saying, 'Where's the Prime Merlinian?'"

.

.

.

Ezra was going to kill himself. As soon as the whole incident was sorted out, he was going to take Camilla home to her mother, and then head to his hotel, where he would slowly drown himself in a pot of boiling oil. If they had oil. Maybe Ilana would sneak out and get him some.

Every tracker had been at the hotel, save Percival and Ilana. She was allowed to leave (as long as she had an adult with her) and buy something at Arcana Cabana. Balthazar Blake had restored it to an antique shop; Ilana happened to want something to keep as a souvenir. She did that on all the tracking missions—well, on the ones her mother let her go on. Mostly the teen sat around at hotels.

Ezra never told anyone about his family. So when he lied about going out to get some fresh air, no one bothered to doubt him. He was their "leader" for about several years. No way were they uncertain about him. Ezra was thankful for that. He'd snuck away to a public bathroom in a restaurant and taken out his cell phone. It wasn't that late to be calling; only nine something. Perfect time to call. Ben might've been out at this hour.

He despised Ben. Not because he'd married his Carla but because of everything else. He had blonde hair, brown eyes, worked out… Was a lot of stuff women wanted. He frowned, then hit the call button. Ezra waited patiently.

"Ezra," Carla said. "Again?"

"Real sorry," he said quickly. "But I just wanna come over to see Camilla. I'll be fast."

"It's around nine. Camilla has to go to sleep." She didn't sound truly irritated.

He went for begging. "C'mon, Carla, she's my daughter too. Please?"

She mumbled something.

"It won't be good if she doesn't see her daddy all the time," Ezra said, trying to lay on a little guilt. "Imagine her disappointment."

"Oh, God, Ezra!" Carla snapped.

"She's probably not even sleeping! I know how she likes to stay up and watch television."

Silence. And then, "Fine. Get over here and see her. Read her a story if that floats your boat. But don't ask for another visit in this week."

Victory! "Promise," he said before hanging up. Ezra raced out from the bathroom, bewildering the couples at the table. He did not spare them a second glance. Let 'em get married, have kids, and then see how well it works out, he thought bitterly. But he was pleased he was going to see her.

Carla lived in a rich neighborhood, but her house was modern and small. Nothing flashy or too crazy, because she hated that kind of stuff. Which made Ezra momentarily wonder why she was into Ben. Maybe because he paid a load of the bills?

Ezra parked his car right in front of her place. The windows were concealed by curtains on the inside, so he couldn't detect anything. Magic would be useful in this situation, but he had been taught by his master not to abuse his powers. It'd come back to bite him in the ass, Master Marcus had also added. Ezra believed him. So he attempted to control himself as he got out of the car and went up to the door. It was made out of expensive wood. Did that push his buttons.

The wood thing reminded him of his conversation with Becky Barnes, the girlfriend of the Prime's. Now that he thought about it, he was a little embarrassed about revealing those tiny details to her. Not that she was untrustworthy; she was a surprisingly good listener. But what he hadn't told his trackers, he had told her. There was something off about that.

Eh, he thought as he brought his thumb down on the buzzer, what's the big deal, Ezra? She's simply a girl. No harm could come from that.

A shriek. The corners of his mouth were tugged. He knew that familiar shriek from anywhere. If his daughter had been more capable, she would have flung the door open. But she was only eight, and didn't get the complications of locks. The door shook while Camilla took her time trying to take off the locks. Finally, the door opened. A little eight-year-old girl stood, barefoot and dressed in purple pajamas, with a giddy expression on her face. Her features were bright with happiness.

"Pops!" Ah, that nickname never got old.

"Hi, Camilla," he said. "Where's Mom at?"

"She was washing the dishes, but then she told me you were coming. She's headin' our way," Camilla said. Her eyes grew large with even more excitement.

He grimaced internally. Finally, Carla came into view. She was wearing an apron and held a dish in her hands. Would she throw it at him? She'd done it one time during their pre-divorce days, but apologized about it soon after.

"Ezra," she murmured. "Come inside. It's cold."

Camilla grinned. She pulled on his hand, leading him inside. She was very warm. Ezra shivered, but he let himself move inside. Carla watched with an emotionless face as Camilla dragged him to her room.

"I got all sorts of books now," she said. "I forgot to show you them last time. We were talking about Strawberry Shortcake, right?"

"Yep." Although she was eight and had moved on to more mature shows, Camilla still held a deep-rooted love for Strawberry Shortcake. They walked up the stairs. There was a door with a sign that had her name on it. A Strawberry Shortcake character was stuck on the door. He grinned again.

Camilla pushed him inside and shut themselves in. "I don't want Mom to bug us," she said. "It's our privacy."

"You got that right." His words were a shade sharper than intended, but his daughter didn't notice.

Camilla raced to her bookshelf. While she occupied herself with getting books, Ezra took the time to survey her inner quarters. The walls were white, yet covered with posters. It was still kiddy stuff. A bed was in the center; pink, purple, and blue. Yuck. Camilla had odd tastes. Proof of that decorated the floors. A couple of toys were sitting around, some of them sophisticated while others were childish. Ezra spotted a Strawberry Shortcake toy car near her closet.

"Got 'em!" With an armful of books, she toddled over to her bed. They spilled over the bright sheets. She pat a couple of the books, then called him over.

"I'm too old for stories," Camilla said, "but I want you to read me one."

"What kind of story?"

"I got this book. It's called Harry Potter and…and… Something else, but I can't pronounce so well!" She blushed, as if this was a shameful fact she was admitting to.

He ruffled her hair playfully. "All right. Lemme see." Harry Potter. The lies of magic. It wasn't so bad. He and a bunch of other sorcerers had read it, to see if it endangered the arts of sorcery. But a lot of it was fake and mentioned many things that didn't truly exist. Although Voldemort could give Morgana a run for her money…if she wasn't dead.

"I only have this one, so far, but Ben's promised to get me more," Camilla told him. "Not a lot, because I don't read them all." She shoved the book into his hands.

_So he's bribing her with books. Smooth move, Benny-boy._ Ezra checked out the cover. It was the second book of the series.

"I took the first book out of the library and then returned it, so I know my stuff for this book," she explained. "You have to read it. All of it. Until we're finished. And I want the voices to be right."

"Huh?"

"Make sure their voices are right," she said smoothly. Camilla snatched back the book and flipped to a page. She jabbed an accusing finger at the font. "Like Snape! I call him Snaps because he snaps a lot. And I don't like his last name."

"He snaps a lot?"

"He _yells_ a lot," Camilla snorted. "Bad for a teacher. Begin reading, Pops!"

She threw herself on her bed, snuggled into the sheets, and rested her head on the pillow. Ezra sat on the edge, making himself comfortable.

He started at the beginning, sinking deeper into the world of pretend-magic as the chapters flew by. Looked like things weren't so perfect here either, he thought sadly.

Then he got a call about Adelaide. It had been seventeen minutes or so, but Ezra read perfectly, so he was already on chapter eight. His throat was a tad dry. Ezra cleared it and then begun to speak with Balthazar. Camilla was in awe. He was furious that this Morganian was being allowed to travel with them, get into their meetings, and play with their heads. But it wasn't directly stated she belonged to the Morganian side. And Balthazar Blake was a legend. He didn't make so many mistakes.

Ezra started to leave as he continued to speak with Blake. Camilla asked him not to go, but he replied that he had to, and she had school. She'd frowned.

He shouldn't have had the damn phone call. This was all his fault.

.

.

.

Now he was at Arcana Cabana, wondering what he could do to get out of this. To get Camilla out of this. She was more important. Ezra looked on in denial as Veronica sensed his daughter. To be honest, he had never really given much thought to Camilla's bloodline. If she had the magical capability or not. Maybe she did. Ezra wasn't going to get her to train, though. He wasn't sure of anything yet anyways.

Camilla was taking the procedure in stride. She was a little scared, saying she was sorry if she broke in, but she didn't mean it. She didn't even know what she was doing. Camilla swore she wouldn't do it again. Veronica had given her cookies and milk, along with Ezra's permission. Ezra thought her a brave little munchkin, despite her initial fear. He decided to focus his eyesight on something else; he didn't want to watch her getting the closest thing to an alien probe.

Ezra watched Percival first. He hadn't said a word during the entire confrontation. He was always silent but voiced his opinions when required. Percival would probably not say anything to the other trackers; he would keep Camilla a secret until he was ready to speak. Ezra was grateful. But his attention didn't remain on his fellow tracker for long. He moved on to Ilana. She was biting her nails. He would make sure she wouldn't talk about Camilla.

His eyes slid over to the redheaded woman. He'd always been fascinated by red hair, hence his love for Scarlett Johansson. Well, that was just some crush he had. But it still counted. When he was younger, Master Marcus had taught him about the previous times. How red hair would be considered the mark of the devil, a sure sign of evil. Morgana had been incredibly evil. A complete monster. But what about this Adelaide? Was she evil? How much did he even know about her?

Ezra moved on to the Prime Merlinian. He was staring at some old clock on the shelf. Becky was sitting next to him in a comfortable-looking chair. She, however, looked nothing like comfortable. Simply exhausted. Ezra reminded himself to erase a little of Carla's memory when he got home. He didn't like the idea of playing with his ex-wife's head, but it was necessary. If she learned about Camilla's late-night adventure, he'd be dead.

"She's fine," Veronica called. "A little magical blood in her, but nothing that allows her to conjure shields and plasma bolts. She's still normal."

A normie. He'd never been happier. "Great," he sighed. "Thanks, Veronica."

"How did she hear about Dave again?" Balthazar questioned.

"You called me about Adelaide. I was in her room, reading to her. She picked up on a lot of stuff, I guess."

Before Balthazar could say anything, his daughter cut in. "Oh, wow! So magic's real, Pops? Like, in real life? Can I watch the Prime Meridian do magic?"

He shook his head. "No, Camilla. And he's not the Prime Meridian, he's the Prime Merlinian."

Dave smiled. "I did the same thing before." Ezra didn't get it.

Camilla turned to him. "Can I watch you go and spell people? Oh, hold on! Hold on a second! Is Harry Potter _real_?"

"Harry Potter," Adelaide interrupted icily, turning over a tiny globe in her hands, "is nothing more than a mere tale spun by a human. If you think there's magic like that, then you're wrong. Put it out of your head."

Camilla frowned. "Meanie," she whispered softly.

"Camilla, let's get you home…to Mom." He would have to erase her memories as well. There was no other way.

"Wait. I want to know how she got here," Balthazar snapped.

"I dunno. I forgot. Sorry, sir," she said, shrugging. "Maybe if I remember, I'll tell you."

Balthazar exhaled. Veronica calmed him down. "No matter. Ezra, I trust you to erase her memory of this?"

"Leave it to me," he mumbled.

.

.

.

Outside, Ezra buttoned his daughter's furry pink jacket. How she managed to get properly dressed and come all this way in the freezing cold, he'd never know. She was more smarter than he gave credit for, then.

"Pops," she said.

"Yeah, Camilla?" He hoped she wouldn't ask questions or bring up magic.

But he regarded her expression. Her eyes were wide and she seemed to quiver. He grabbed her close and then asked, "What's wrong, toots? Something's bothering you? Is it the cold?"

"No," she mumbled. "Pops, I had a weird dream. I was in bed, I went right in after finishing my school homework. And I had a weird dream. This lady came and she wanted me to bring her somewhere."

Ezra froze. Chills ran down his spine, and they had nothing to do with the weather. "Camilla," he said hastily, "what dream was this? Can you tell me more?"

"I don't remember it all…and it's gettin' harder to," she whispered earnestly. "Came back to me a few minutes ago. I didn't tell the old guy because he scared me out of my pants."

"Stop joking, Camilla. What was the dream? Please. It's important."

She gave him an odd look. "Okay, Pops. I was in bed, making myself all comfy. Then I think I fell asleep because I felt all weird."

He interjected, "What kind of weird?"

"Like I was floating on bubbles," she giggled. "So I must've been dreaming, 'cuz no one feels like that in real life. And then the lady came. She was really nice, but asked questions."

"What kind?" he demanded.

"Wanted me to bring her to the old guy's place," Camilla said. "I told her, 'I dunno. I'm honest.' She got upset but got real nice again. Then I felt better and asked me to bring her somewhere. But then I brought the lady where she wanted to go. I don't remember everything else, Pops. Sorry."

"She wanted you to bring her here? Arcana Cabana?"

Camilla nodded. "You talked about it in my room, when you read me Harry Potter. I didn't know where it was, though, only it was a place."

He was quiet, processing the information. "…I…"

"Pops." Ezra looked down. She was sincere. "I'm real honest right now. I didn't mean to break in, or whatever he said. I didn't break anything, I just walked right in."

Ezra believed her. He just wished it hadn't had happened. Ezra groaned. He'd have to get her home and tell Balthazar about this afterwards.


	27. Prompt 015: Meat

_**A/N: **I'm really pleased with this chapter; I can't wait for feedback, but I do apologize for anything that seems OOC. While fun to write, it was also difficult displaying the actions of characters I don't own._

* * *

Prompt 15 : Meat

Lilith fingered the lock with an annoyed expression. She attempted to pull down her excitement and impatience, but the two mixed feelings just wouldn't budge. Lilith finally got the lock off. She pushed the door to let herself in. Maybe Adelaide already knew about the news, but there was a small chance of that. He'd came to her personally, and told her that she should inform her companion of the plans. Lilith hurried into the hall of the apartment, tearing off her coat as she went.

It had been raining a bit outside. She'd practically ran all the way here, instead of using magical means. She had forgotten about magic in her haste to get to their quarters. Lilith's face was flushed and red; it probably looked horrible with her blonde hair. She didn't care. Looks would have to come later.

Lilith couldn't help but feel pleased. She quickly entered her own room, which smelled foul, and threw her coat on the beat bed. Perhaps she and Adelaide could celebrate. There was always a nice bottle of wine to steal…and Adelaide did enjoy cigarette-celebrating.

She dashed out of her room and called out the redhead's name. Usually Adelaide was in their rooms on this floor. The rest of the rooms were either filthy, beyond repair, or some other third option that the two found disgusting. If Adelaide had went outside, she would've left a note.

Lilith called out again. No response. She frowned. It was too bad Adelaide was busy doing whatever outside. Maybe she'd come back soon. Lilith searched for a note. She went through the kitchen. Nothing on the tiny fridge or bare round table. Not even on the cabinets. Her room could hold a note.

She twisted the knob of her companion's door. Now that was odd. Adelaide liked her privacy but she wouldn't keep most things to herself. She shared her space with Lilith, as they were both business partners as well, so she was used to it. And she never had her door closed. It was always open, in case they needed to get away hastily.

Lilith went inside, thinking out loud, "If she hasn't left a note, I'm phoning her—"

The walls, floor, ceiling, and entire room was naked. There was the bed Adelaide slept on, and it should have had a black bag on it. The same one she kept her cell and spare cash. Lilith didn't see it, but she knew it could be under the pillow or something. She hurriedly checked through the sheets, pillow, and even under the bed. Nothing.

This was not good. Not good at _all._ Lilith refreshed the memories in her mind. She had woken up early due to her cell phone beeping. It was their employer, wanting her to come. Adelaide had been missing at the time because the night before, she'd said something about new cigarettes. Lilith didn't think anything was out of place during that morning. She went to talk with her employer and then got the good news; then Lilith had returned to find her friend absent.

Thunder cackled. Lilith jumped. She counted to ten in her head, forcing herself not to run her fingers through her hair. Then, after she was finished, proceeded to check the room again. There was no closet to hide things in. Where was the note? Or maybe Adelaide just wanted to get away and forgot to leave a not? She rarely did that, but it left Lilith with more options—options that didn't scare the hell out of her.

Lilith attempted to calm down as she checked again for a note or message of some kind. Did she miss a spot? Suddenly, she realized she hadn't checked her cell phone for a huge period of the day. Perhaps Adelaide had been sensible enough to give her a message before heading out. That was their main form of communication, after all. Lilith liked that idea.

She retrieved her phone from the kitchen. Seating herself, Lilith turned the volume up and went to her inbox. There was a single text waiting for her. She glowed. So nothing was wrong. Thank God.

**Lilith**

**I could have done this face-to-face with you. But I knew if I did, you would follow me. And I just don't want that happening. I don't like our employer. You know that. He's a fake. He's been hiding himself behind spells. I've come to a conclusion that I can't keep this up anymore. So I took whatever I had with me today and left New York for good. Don't come after me, don't look around, because you simply won't find me hanging around. There was no big reason for me leaving; I just wanted to go my own way. I'm also disposing of my phone. I couldn't be with you all the time, now could I? And make sure YOUR employer doesn't stab you in the back; you're too gullible for your own good.**

Lilith was surprised at her reaction. Instead of throwing the phone across the table or flying into a mental rage, she simply sat there. She was beyond stunned. She was paralyzed with her own disbelief.

Adelaide…never coming back? No more deals, no more partnership? That was it?

Lilith briefly considered the idea of Adelaide being forced to write this. It could happen. They were Morganians, and bad things always headed their way. Lilith read the text one more time, despite having her eyes burn a little when she did. It was perfect. Not a single bit out of place. If someone had forced her to write this, Adelaide would've left a cryptic clue to hint at it. She wouldn't have been so…so…laid-back. Lilith knew what this meant.

She had been abandoned. For the first time in her life. She didn't feel outraged or upset. She was simply…empty. It was a feeling that seeped into her bones. Lilith didn't like it one bit. Her eyes flashed back to the text. She'd known Adelaide too well to know these were _her_ words. Her _friend_ had sent this to her. No one else.

Lilith canceled the message and leaned back in her chair.

.

.

.

"No. _No._ NO."

"All right, Dave, give it a break," Balthazar said. Dave could've sworn that if his master was in the room, he would have been rolling his eyes.

"Balthazar, how can you trust her! I can't believe this!"

He sighed. "You're being very melodramatic right now, Dave."

His apprentice threw up his hands in whole frustration. "There's gotta be someone else," he snapped. "Anyone else but Adelaide."

"I'm still here," Adelaide said pointedly. She was sitting in a chair around the kitchenette.

"I know! That's what bugs me!" Dave went back to Balthazar. "Are you sure?"

"Look, my hands are tied, Dave," Balthazar threw back. The noises of honking horns filled his eardrums, interrupting the conversation for a minute. Traffic. "I'm stuck on the road right now and I had to have Veronica come along, for obvious reasons. Becky's at the radio station with a couple of trackers, and she mentioned being really busy with a friend, Sophia. I have the remaining ones with me. And Ilana is at the hotel by her mother's wishes. She was the only one left."

"But she's the bad guy!"

"Who is helping us, supposedly," Balthazar murmured. "Now stop this nonsense. Percival is also with you two, so there shouldn't be any trouble. If I hear something's happened, you're stuck with extra training for the rest of your life."

Dave muttered a few choice words under his breath, but he knew he couldn't change Balthazar's mind. It did make sense. Percival and Adelaide were the only ones left to watch him. He was sick today and was forced to stay at the apartment; if he felt an ounce better, he would've hopped off with Becky to the radio station. Alas, his body was not allowing that.

He sneezed to prove a point to himself. Percival, who was currently seated at the living room, murmured a polite, "Bless you." Dave sighed and then told Balthazar he'd try to hold everything down. The two hung up.

"I'm sorry, Percival," he said, his sore throat aching. "I didn't mean to offend you; I'm just a little…uncertain about having extra company around."

Adelaide snorted.

"No need to apologize. I'm rather uncomfortable myself. I rarely stay over at important people's home," he said. His eyes scanned the ceiling. "It's an honor to be invited to the Prime Merlinian's own grounds."

The guy really meant it. The awe shone in his tone. Dave fidgeted around on the sofa. "I'm the one who should be thanking you all. Benjamin said you were the best trackers, so I figure we pulled you out of a tight schedule."

Percival offered him a kind smile. "We weren't doing much at the time. Except for Ezra, who has apparently been having family troubles." He was quiet for a moment. "He informed me of having a difficult time with his personal life, and that I should forget about Camilla. I advise you to do the same."

"Sure," Dave said. "It's his business."

"Adelaide?" Percival called. Dave threw a glance at her. She was currently craning her neck to get a look at the tracker.

"Could I ask you to keep his daughter a secret?" inquired Percival.

"I already said I would," she said, propping herself up on the counter with an elbow.

Percival merely nodded.

It was boring and awkward with only silence around, so thankfully, someone spoke up. Unfortunately, it was Adelaide doing the talking.

"Balthazar wanted me to cut off my ties with Lilith," she said. Dave was surprised by the serious topic she'd brought up. "And I agreed to it, although I could've kept her around to supply information."

"I thought she was your friend or something," Dave interjected.

Her tone did not change. "She was. But I can't be friends with her if I'm helping the Merlinians. It's all right with me though. I didn't mind."

_I thought she would have wanted to have her Lilith around,_ Dave thought. _How is she taking this?_

"Besides, if you found out your associate was using little kids, would you want to stick around her too?"

"Oh… Yeah, I guess I'd leave too."

Adelaide continued. "So I texted her about me leaving New York. I told her not to reach me on my cell or look around. She's probably going to juggle her employer's demands while searching for me." She shook her head.

"What if she calls you again?" Percival asked. "I suppose she could trace you through the calls?"

Adelaide smiled at him. "No. I took out the SIM card and discarded the phone in a trash bin somewhere remote, away from the population. If she found it, she would look around that place; there shouldn't be any civilians in where I threw it out."

Dave was tempted to ask where, but Percival then said, "Lilith poses a threat to us, Miss Adelaide?"

"Just call me Adelaide. It's fine. Or Ms. Rosco. My last name," she added.

"Well, Ms. Rosco, then."

"To answer your question honestly, no, she doesn't pose much of threat. She had a weak master and only knows a limited amount of spells," Adelaide explained. "However, I have never seen her vengeful or angry. I must've hurt her with that text. So I don't know how much power she'll put in her magic when we see one another again."

"And, Ms. Rosco, you don't regret anything?"

Adelaide flashed him a grin that revealed her teeth. "Percival, I'll tell you right now that regrets are a waste of time."

He smiled back slowly. "If that's your philosophy."

"It is." She chuckled. "I enjoy talking to you."

"And I find it rather comfortable too," he replied.

Dave sneezed.

"Bless you," Percival repeated. "Are you sure this is a simple cold?"

"Yeah. I'm sure." Dave remembered his manners. "You're free to watch the news or use the bathroom."

"Thank the heavens," Adelaide sighed.

Dave shot her a glare.

.

.

.

The moment Percival's phone went off, Dave felt a sense of foreboding lace his insides. They had been watching the news peacefully. Nothing hinted at a Morganian or the supernatural. The three of them were in the middle of Melanie Lin reporting the death of woman (never pleasant news) when his cell went off.

Beethoven's Symphony, Dave thought, recognizing the powerful piece. It fit for a guy like Percival.

"It's Ezra." He picked up. "Ezra? Is it…your daughter?"

The tracker on the other end talked at high speeds.

"Ah, I see. Okay. I understand."

Percival hung up. He whipped around to face the two. "I'm sorry; I must go. Ezra's informed me that the protective charm he placed on his daughter has faded seven minutes ago. He wants me to revive it and watch her until he says she's safe. He doesn't want a repeat of yesterday."

"Okay," Dave said. As much as he detested the idea of staying alone with Adelaide, he knew he had to let Percival go. Camilla was much more important. "I get it. Take care of her."

"Apologies." With that, he went out the door. Dave got up and locked it. He sneezed once more. He frowned; this was his thirteenth sneeze.

"Should you even be up?" Adelaide questioned.

"Yes," he said, wrinkling his nose.

"Are you hungry?"

That was unexpected. Dave shrugged and just murmured, "Kind of. Are you?" He abruptly thought of something. "I'm keeping you from dinner—okay, how about you go get lunch and I'll wait for you to come back."

Adelaide shook her head, red hair dancing. "That would leave you alone. Balthazar will be pissed off if I do."

"That's true…"

"But I'll take a couple of minutes to pick something up for us. Because he'll be even more pissed off to find out you starved to death while sick."

She glided out the door. Dave went off after her and watched her leave. He wouldn't be able to stop her. So he simply locked the door and made his way to the bathroom to freshen up.

She came back a short while after. Her hair was soaked and her clothes were worse. Dave opened the door for her. Adelaide shook her red locks like a wild cat, but was careful not to spill the bags. She handed them to Dave before removing her coat and hanging it up.

As Dave set the bags down on the coffee table, Adelaide began complaining. "Jesus," she said, "it's raining wolves and hyenas out there."

Dave couldn't help but smile a little. Okay, it was a tad funny. "The most common saying is cats and dogs," he pointed out.

"If it were cats and dogs, I would be able to handle those. Wolves and hyenas? Give me a break."

"You don't seem like someone who'd be afraid of animals," Dave commented.

Adelaide pulled a ponytail holder out of her jeans pocket. "I hate these things," she muttered while fixing up her hair, "but I hate headbands even more."

Another new fact he learned about her. He retrieved a fresh towel from the bathroom and offered it to her. She used it to dry her hair and then put it back in its correct spot. When she returned, she frowned at him and said, "I thought you'd be in bed or something."

"I'm not that sick."

"Is it because we were here?" she asked, taking out the food cartons. "If it had been a normal day for you, would you have been asleep?"

He blushed. "No," he fibbed.

"You're a terrible liar. Why do you make people repeat it?"

"I know I am. I just didn't want to sound rude." Adelaide set the cartons on the small table in the kitchenette.

Dave got glasses of water for them. He had an inkling he'd vomit if he had Pepsi or anything else. He should get some ginger ale today, but despised the idea of going out in the crazy rainstorm.

Suddenly, he said, "Becky's going to be really wet when she leaves the studio."

"I'm sure she has an umbrella with her."

Dave blinked. He hadn't remembered that. Maybe she did. Dave berated himself mentally for being stupid there.

"The takeout is from this Chinese restaurant," she said. "Very fancy. And quite the elegant place. No one was there, except for a couple of people. Didn't have to wait long, thankfully."

Dave inspected a carton of food while Adelaide opened up the containers. "Hmm," he said. "This one has some kind of meat. Is there a salad anywhere?"

"In this one," she said, quickly tapping one of the various tight boxes. "There's also soup and rice…among other things. Are you allergic to meat?"

"I've decided to go vegan," Dave explained. "I had this epiphany a long time ago while dining with Becky."

"I never understood vegetarians. Some stick to the diet, yet they never get skinnier…"

"It's not about that," he said. "A lot of people do it to help animals and have protein from other areas of food."

They sat down and began eating. Then Adelaide said, "You _are_ correct; you must be doing this for the animals, because you're much too skinny to want to lose weight."

He colored slightly. Memories of being nicknamed "Toothpick" and "Noodles" came back to him, although those names paled in comparison to what other kids called him…

Dave ate for a while. He enjoyed the silence. While their small conversations weren't so bad or hideous, Dave preferred it if he was among peace. But that would have to be interrupted when he asked her, "So when are you going to let me go?"

Adelaide froze. The cup that had almost reached her mouth stayed. "What do you mean?" She arched her eyebrow in a villain-like fashion.

"You and I made a deal… If the girl was healed, I would have to be your servant," he said coldly, reminding her of their bargain. "You did heal her but you never let me go." He shifted in his seat. "And you also had healing abilities, something you claim you got from your parents. If you're helping us Merlinians out, why haven't you bothered telling Balthazar you could possibly heal me?"

Adelaide took a long sip from her cup. She stared at him with her eyes. They were a dark color, almost black. It kind of intimidated him, but he wasn't going to let her know that.

"…It must be frustrating to be an amnesiac," she began, "while having a healer right at your table. Do you want the honest answers to those two questions?"

"I do," he snapped. His words were as sharp as a knife. He didn't look like the type to yell but he was angry now.

"Well, don't be annoyed when I tell you." She took another sip. "The thing is…I'm not sure how my healing works. I know I can do it and it simply happens, but the outcome is always a good thing or a bad thing. For example, I know with enough confidence that I'll be able to heal a child with a large cut. But your amnesia… That's another matter completely. Your whole mind is reset and that isn't something to be healed; how can I heal an empty mind when it isn't broken? I could try, David, but it could be a complete waste."

Dave nodded. He set his jaw and said, "I guess that's rational. But why would you make this deal with me…if you knew you couldn't help me with my amnesia?" Despite his controlled tone, Dave wanted to shout at her. It was because she was a Morganian, and wanted to trick him into doing what she wanted.

Adelaide seemed to be in her own little world, although she was talking clearly. Her eyes wandered while still. "I said I would be truthful. Here it is: I was afraid."

"…Are you serious?"

"Quite. I am _not_ Balthazar Blake or Maxim Horvath. I haven't faced such situations as they have. They've felt loss, and I'm sure, tremendous pressure. I never felt those things. I was actually a happy child." She paused. "I was frightened and panicked. I didn't want to face them alone. I wasn't sure I could tame that dragon."

"So you got me to release it?" He frowned. "But it never attacked at that time. You couldn't have been scared."

"I am a well tamer, but I did feel scared nonetheless."

He chewed his salad thoughtfully. After swallowing, he said, "My other question?"

Adelaide sighed. "Right. Well, David, about letting you go from our deal… The Prime Merlinian has a lot of powers. A lot of talents. I'm just one woman who needed help. And I'll need help in further time. I abandoned my longtime associate and friend. Can you imagine how she feels? How our employer will feel when he realizes I left? We'll have to confront them in the future. Their anger will merge and the two might kill me." She shook her head. "I won't have a little kid save me from death. I strive for something higher, something better."

She sighed. "But you couldn't possibly understand me. It's hard to put into words. I only want to…have something great in memory. Like I accomplished a large feat, to ensure I didn't waste my life trying to fit myself into a Morganian lifestyle."

Dave focused his eyes on his plate of vegetarian food. In a way, he actually did understand a little of what she said. "So you want redemption?"

"Of the sorts, love, of the sorts."

The reply came so naturally.

"Please don't call me that," he said softly. His thoughts wandered to Becky. She was all by herself. She could be hanging out with friends, but that wasn't what bothered him. Here was her boyfriend…having dinner with someone more confusing than originally thought. Someone who was more or less an enemy. A past Morganian.

"It makes you uncomfortable?"

"Yes," he forced the word out. "I have a girlfriend."

She laughed. It was a bell-like sound. "Oh, you don't think I'm a flirt, do you? Because this?" She gestured to the dinner they were having. And then she made movements to indicate themselves. "_This_ doesn't even come close to flirting."

"More like a meaningful conversation," Dave said.

"Exactly." She helped herself to the salad. "Eh. Like I do not understand why I am trying the salad, I don't understand why I've fallen into the Morganian category."

"You don't get it?" Dave repeated, puzzled. "…That's sort of clear."

"You know what? I'll tell you about it. It's high time I got myself a therapist," Adelaide said, teeth gleaming through that wide smile. "Tomorrow. At the apartment."

He sneezed. Dave hastily stood up and grabbed a tissue from the box on the coffee table. He wiped his nose and disposed of the tissue in the bin. He headed to the bathroom to wash his hands. After, he came back to his empty seat, filling it once more.

"I warn you, I'm not the best person to pick as a therapist."

"I dare to disagree."

He sighed. There was no arguing with this woman. "Okay. Tomorrow."

Adelaide leaned back in her chair, pleased with the meeting. "Good. Now get your ass into bed."

Dave willingly got up, sarcastically saluted her, and slipped into the embrace of his bedroom.


	28. Prompt 037: Wind

_**A/N:** I had no other prompt to use that would fit and make sense. Oh well. At least I have this one out of the way._

* * *

Prompt 37 : Wind

Adelaide cleaned up the remaining contents and stuck whatever was good in the fridge. No sense in wasting food. She left the dishes in the sink. At first Adelaide considered washing them as well but then realized she wasn't that nice. Instead, she decided to plop down on the couch and watch the rain. It was an attractive thing, but the wind had frightened her as a child. Always banging against glass and making her jump.

Waving her hand, the curtains pulled back to reveal tear-stained windows. Adelaide could see the thick outlines of fellow buildings. Some people were up. She wondered what they were doing. But humans never held her interest for long. She turned on the TV. The sight of the news playing made her groan. _Give me old movies any day,_ she thought.

But Adelaide let the news play, the volume low. Her eyelids drooped as every second lugged by. She shook her head and shut off the TV. No use of that device. Maybe she'd look around. After all, if she was protecting the Prime Merlinian she should be allowed to see his place. Get a couple of insights. She silently snorted to herself. _Insights._ Yeah right.

His living room was small but comfortable. She liked it. There wasn't a ton of stuff that spoke to her. It was mostly books (the college kind) among other things. Adelaide quietly walked through the hall to check out the bathroom.

She stopped at his bedroom. The door was open and he was in his bed, already asleep. Hmm. She entered and stopped a few inches away from his bed. He was asleep all right, but it was in an awkward way. He was curled up and some tissues littered the blanket. Adelaide grinned but moved on.

"Dave! Open up!"

Balthazar Blake, she noted. Adelaide made her way to the living room, opened the door, and welcomed the sorcerer with wide arms. He looked at her with a neutral gaze.

"Where's Dave?" A glare came along with the comment.

Adelaide wasn't taking _that_ standing up. "He's been moved to a secret hideout," she explained fluidly, her words too even for a lie. "For his own good, of course. But not to worry, my associates are excellent caretakers."

Before the sorcerer could retort, a female voice called out, "Balthazar?" Then there were sounds of footsteps.

"Balthazar, love," Veronica breathed. "Please slow down."

"Sorry."

"Becky's on her way with the trackers," Veronica said. She went inside. "Everyone's taking a break from watching."

When the blonde came up, the first thing out of her mouth was, "Where's Dave?" Her eyes grew considerably when she saw Adelaide.

"Being held prisoner," was her reply. She suddenly felt exhausted, even though she'd been with the Prime for less than three hours.

"Is he now?" The blonde's tone was now normal and controlled. Adelaide resisted the urge to burst into laughter.

"Yes," Adelaide muttered as the trackers appeared.

She disappeared into Dave's room. Still sleeping. How ill was he? Adelaide nudged him. He didn't wake up. She pushed him more harshly now. He did stir but that wasn't much. Adelaide finally went for the rude approach. He was now being shook awake.

His eyes flew open. "Beck—" Dave stopped talking when he saw Adelaide.

"She's here. Get up." Dave hopped out of bed much more cheerfully than a sick person was capable of.

"Hi," Becky said. A smile spread across her face.

"Hey. Did I miss anything while I was out?" He pecked her on the cheek.

She shook her head. "No. Why?"

"Just slept a little," Dave replied. "All right." He faced all the trackers, who were currently seating themselves.

"We have a plan," Balthazar said. "And it might work."

.

.

.

"Are you nervous?"

Dave gave a quick dip of his head. "No." But his words weren't convincing enough.

"Liar," Becky said, a soft smile spreading across her face. "You know, I'm actually looking forward to catching them."

His eyebrows rose. "You think we can?" he inquired.

"Of course," she said softly. But her fingers around the coffee mug tightened. "We have Merlinians on our side. As well as Adelaide. I'm pretty sure she's got some tricks up her sleeve."

"She's going to be a big help; no one but Lilith trusts her," Dave said. He drank from his own cup. It didn't have coffee in it. Just some cocoa. He was heading to bed soon and that didn't require caffeine.

Becky unexpectedly kissed him on the forehead. "Please try and be safe," she said. "I don't care if anything happens to me. I just need you to be okay."

Dave frowned. He hated it when she said that. She should care about her own safety. It was worth more than his. "I'll do my best," he responded weakly. He tried to put on a grin. "I hope Balthazar and Veronica have the spell ready."

"No worries, Dave. And remember to email Derrick—he'll want to know about the Arcana Cabana break-in."

His smile was faint.

.

.

.

Dave was in his pajamas and prepared to go to sleep. He would greet it with open arms, yet he knew he didn't have it in him. He'd surely spend the night turning in bed, thinking about the plan Balthazar had come up with. Wondering what would go right and what would go wrong. If Lilith would get away.

He was surprised to see Adelaide at the door to his room. She was leaning against it, hands clasped together in front of her. Odd. Balthazar had split up the times with everyone; it was her turn to make sure he was protected, along with Ezra. But here she was. Dave cleared his throat as he continued walking. Her eyes didn't travel to him, despite his loud footsteps.

"What are you doing here?" The words came out all wrong. They sounded hostile and sharp.

Adelaide didn't spare him a glance. "I'm standing about. Is that all right with you?" Now that was something. Her tone was even more angrier than his.

This brought own a wave of fury. "No, it isn't," he snapped. "This is my apartment and you're supposed to be outside, not in. The least you could do is _look_ at me."

Her head turned ever so slowly. The action was incredibly sluggish. Dave was annoyed but he felt awkward as well. He always did. He couldn't help it.

"You're not allowed in here," he mumbled, staring down. He suddenly didn't want Adelaide to look at him. "Outside. With Ezra. That's where you're allowed."

"I know. I'll leave in a few seconds." Adelaide loosened her hands and slipped one into her pocket. She brought an object out while Dave watched with curiosity.

"Hold on," Dave said before she could show him the thing. "You were here, near my room? While I was in the bathroom?"

"Ezra thought I was crazy," Adelaide said. A smirk laced her lips. It was gone. "But he didn't make much of a fuss when I went in."

"What are you giving me?"

She presented a black box to him. Dave blinked. What was it? His hand reached out to accept it, but then he paused.

"Hey. This isn't rigged with a deadly gas or something, right?"

"If it was I don't believe I'd tell you." She opened the cover of the box. "It's a cell phone. I owe you one after…"

"…smashing mine," he finished. "Yeah. Thanks." He took the cell phone out of the box and studied it for a little while. He wasn't sure about the brand. Dave wasn't an expert on cell phones.

"It's that EVO kind," Adelaide explained. She slowly being walking down the hall.

"Wait!" She stopped. "Are you really giving this to me? Or did you steal it from an innocent civilian?"

"Nope. It was acquired legally."

"So you paid for a replacement?" Dave questioned skeptically.

"Not even close. I gave you mine. Goodnight, Dave."


	29. Prompt 010: Evil

_**A/N:** This prompt takes place right after the last one's, just in case any of you are confused. Oh, and there will be multiple POV's here, so brace yourself. There. You've been warned._

* * *

Prompt 10 : Evil

"You two seem friendly."

Adelaide's eyes flew to the face of the tracker. She stepped out over to the fire escape then closed the window. Ezra was leaning against the rail. His face was casual and she couldn't detect any traces of hostility. Of course, he had more than one right. But that should've gone towards Balthazar Blake and the Becky girl.

"I wouldn't say that," she replied. "We're…capable of talking although not every conversation goes smoothly."

"Huh. Sounds like me and someone I know." He gave a careful shrug of his shoulders. "He asleep yet?"

Adelaide shook her head. She directed her sight to the sky. It was the dull color of pitch black. Hardly any stars in view, she thought. Perhaps because there was always smoke and pollution going on for the stars to shine. She felt a sudden ache for Tess's farm—but as soon as it came it was gone.

"Thanks for keeping Camilla a secret," Ezra piped up. "Means a lot to me."

"No problem."

He just grunted and adjusted his position on the fire escape. There was no chatter. Adelaide was reduced to a bored mind. She considered going back inside; that wouldn't do. Dave was probably already snoring away. And leaving Ezra had to be a bad option. She didn't want to stay here though.

"Is this how it like?"

Ezra's tone was surprised. "What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about watching Dave and everyone else," Adelaide said. "You do this practically every day? Stand and watch?"

Ezra gave a nod of his head. "It doesn't sound appealing and it sure isn't fun. But it's the job we all chose. We've got to deal with it. Sometimes excitement develops. Other times…"

"But you all chose this profession," Adelaide interjected. She smiled to herself. She couldn't help the light touch of sarcasm. "How does one go on like this? It doesn't even appear as if any of the trackers have lives."

"…A little more specific, please?"

Adelaide sighed. She leant further on the railing. A couple of cars rolled down the street. "I'm sure you could've found another job," she said. "Maybe a glamorous one, or perhaps something simpler. Anything but this tracking. Why did you want this?"

Ezra didn't answer right away, and that irritated Adelaide. It had to be a trust issue between them. Well, she had trust issues with everyone. That reminded her of Lilith. How would the blonde react when she saw someone who abandoned her?

"I don't know if I can talk to you," Ezra said sullenly. "You used to be a Morganian chick and now you're clean? It doesn't happen that fast. Everyone you know right now, the trackers, Balthazar, they hesitate. Because no one's sure you're on our side."

Adelaide's hands tightened into fists. She wasn't an idiot. A tad feckless and misguided, yes, but not an idiot. She didn't need a man with kiddie problems telling her what she already knew. But somehow, she found a way to speak without being rude.

"You're right." She sounded calm. "But does it matter to me what you think?" She turned her head to see his reaction.

Ezra glared at the apartment window. "Okay, okay. You have a slight attitude." He paused to scratch his auburn hair. "How about this? I'll answer that question of yours and you give me something in return."

"Shoot."

"...I'd rather answer first," he said.

Adelaide gave him a delicate smile. "Whatever you prefer."

"I wanted to be a tracker because for one thing, you get money for hunting Morganians. Well, for catching them. Not that it's simple work," Ezra said. "But because… My wife and I split, she mentioned something about me being useless. And I know trackers get a heck of lot of glory despite not being legit bounty hunters." He spoke quickly. Did he think she wouldn't catch those words?

"Relationship troubles," Adelaide mused. "Oh, how they annoy me so."

"Yeah," Ezra agreed, but he changed the topic. "Now for my question. Pretend we get back Merlin's ring, the Prime has his memories restored, all that good stuff. What are you gonna do?"

She hadn't foreseen this type of question. Adelaide didn't know how to handle future plans. Hell, she didn't know how to handle the future in general. Maybe that was why she kept slipping up. Adelaide pushed her wild hair back and waited for a response to come to mind.

Who knew where she would be? Perhaps with the Prime and his magical family as a friend? Or would she move on? Adelaide considered the most grim possibility. She could die.

But that crap was all in the movies.

"I'm sorry, Ezra," she said genuinely, "but there's no answer."

.

.

.

The phone rang. _His_ phone rang. Dave moaned. Now that he pried open his eyes and took a couple of sniffs, he realized that he actually felt better than yesterday. Not well enough to pick up the cell phone, but it could be somebody important.

His fingers fumbled on the nightstand before he finally got hold of the cell. He didn't even bother to lift his head. Peeking at the phone, he saw the screen flash an unknown number. Dave didn't recognize it. He hesitated; this was Adelaide's phone. It could be anyone. A crazed Morganian, a homeless slob on the street… Oh, wait, homeless guys didn't have phones.

Dave decided to answer. It could an opportunity to galvanize information. "Hello?" he said tentatively.

"Hello, is Adelaide Rosco around?" A female was talking. She had the slightest French accent. Dave knew this wasn't Lilith.

"I'm sorry; maybe this is the wrong number."

Dave cursed himself for taking too long to speak. "No, no," he said. "You have the right number. I know Adelaide."

"Oh. Is she here right now?"

Dave panicked. What was going to say? "No, she's not," he said. "But I can always take a message." Stupid, stupid, stupid! It sounded so unnatural.

"I'd like to leave a message, but just for privacy reasons, would you mind telling me one thing about Adelaide?"

"She's a redhead, has a bit of an attitude problem, and..." Dave pulled something right off the bat. "She also knows someone by the name of Lilith."

The person on the other end sounded satisfied, but with a touch of wariness. "Thanks, thank you. Could you tell Adelaide that I know it is a long time, but I have good deals for her?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

"And—please, tell her it is Tess."

Dave memorized the name. "All right, Tess," he said. "I'll deliver the message when I see her. And I see her soon."

"Thanks again." With that, Tess signed off.

Dave got out of bed and begun searching for his clothes. Adelaide and Ezra were either on the fire escape or near his building. With any luck, none of them had moved. Dave sniffed at a shirt, labeled it as clean, and pulled it on. He suddenly remembered he had to call his father.

He did that first to get it out of the way. Dave recited the message in his head while heading towards his computer. He hadn't quite gotten his father's number in his head yet. Luckily, it was saved on an emergency file on his computer.

Dave stood at the computer desk and dialed his father's number. He was about to click the save button when something hit him. Adelaide said she disposed of her phone so Lilith couldn't trace her. But just last night, she claimed this was _her_ phone she was giving him. That didn't add up.

Feeling suspicious, Dave thought he might as well go through the contacts to see who she had. If Lilith was on that phone, things wouldn't look so good for her. To his relief, there was no Lilith on the contacts list. In fact, there was no one on that list.

The sudden phone call prompted Dave to sift through Adelaide's inbox and outbox. Nothing there either. Maybe she stole this and bothered to lie? He shook his head. No, she didn't do that. Well, he hoped she didn't.

Dave went back to the original plan. He saved Derrick's cell number and called. He grabbed his pants and put them on while waiting for him to pick up.

"Hello. May I ask who this is?"

"It's me, Dave," his son muttered. "A…_friend_ of mine accidentally broke my cell phone and replaced it. So that's why the number isn't recognized."

"Hold on, David. Say that again?"

He resisted the urge to sigh. "My friend broke my cell phone. Completely by accident, but she replaced it."

"Oh. All right. No trouble with the cell phone, right? Are you sure this matter is resolved—"

"No, it's fine," Dave interrupted. "Remember when I came over to have dinner and had to leave?"

"Yes. I was planning on emailing you about that."

"Becky's uncle, Balthazar, had a break-in. It's this antique shop."

His father paused. "But why did it concern you? How serious was this break-in?"

Dave frowned. Didn't his father believe him? "Well…I, er, left some of my stuff there and Becky thought it could have been stolen, or something like that." He winced at his words. He was indeed a horrible liar. It even hurt simply to fib to his own dad. Derrick was sure to find him out.

"How do you feel? You sound a little—"

In his haste to hung up, Dave cut in and said, "I was sick but I'm better now. Thanks for, er, asking. It was just a break-in but everything's okay. Sorry was calling so early."

"It's only eight," his father said quietly. "And don't you have classes today?"

Dave cursed. He forgot about the date. "I told you… I was sick. I don't have a lot today, probably only two or three. I'll get the assignments later…"

A pause. "David? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," Dave snapped. He bit down on his lip, cursing again. He sounded too rude.

"Okay. Just checking. I'll go now."

"Bye." Dave hung up and hurriedly continued to put on newer clothes. He padded over to the window where the fire escape was located. There was no one there but it didn't hurt to call out. He unlatched the window—

"Ah, so you're finally up!" Red came in his view. Dave yelped and stumbled back, collapsing into a chair, thankfully, instead of the floor.

Adelaide smiled and climbed into the living room. "Did I frighten you?"

"Just a little, but no worries," Dave said in the best scathing tone he could manage. He failed. "Did you show up right about now?"

"I was coming back from a coffee place. Ezra swapped places with Sterling around midnight. He's nearby, but he isn't really watching." Adelaide plopped down on the couch. "You were in the middle of calling someone, correct? How's the new phone?"

"About that," Dave said, sitting up properly. "Someone called me. Well, they called your phone under the pretense it was still yours. I thought you crushed your phone? So how is it you have another one?"

All the cheeriness disappeared from Adelaide's face. Distress and annoyance took its place. Her eyebrows narrowed. "Who was this person?"

Dave nervously ran a hand through his curls. "Tess. She called herself Tess."

Her eyes grew as large as sand dollars. "No," she said sharply. "No. Dave, what did she want?"

He blinked at the change of her moods. But he wasn't going to give answers so quickly. If she wanted them, she would have to cough up some of her own.

"Me first," Dave said. "Is this really your phone?"

Adelaide rolled her eyes angrily. "Yes, it is. What's wrong with you?"

_Ouch,_ Dave thought. _That was unnecessary._ "I have every right to think you're lying," he mumbled uneasily. He wanted to speak up, to sound fearless. Demanding. But Dave wasn't capable of that.

She shut her eyes. After ten seconds, she opened them. With a tiny sigh, she said, "It's my phone. My second one, to tell the truth. It was in case something happened to my first phone." A brief smile flickered across her face.

"I don't believe you."

Adelaide turned on him in an _instant._ "The _hell!_ Tess, not Lilith, but _Tess_ calls and you refuse to tell me what she wanted! Do you know how important she is to me? I gave you the phone but it's still mine, Dave."

He hadn't shrunk back at her shouting, as he might've done before he turned amnesiac. Dave sat there and took it. He had noticed his hands bit deep into the cushion of the chair. He hated yelling, especially when it was directed at him. Logic ate at him. Seriously? Adelaide had smashed his cell phone with her high-heeled _shoe_, replaced it, and then said the thing wasn't even his? It might have been funny if the words hadn't stung.

Dave tried to remain civil. He had amnesia and been through a lot in the past months. He didn't need any more stress. On top of that, he was still sick. He felt more humiliated than angry though.

"It's not fair of you to yell at me," he said, a little awkwardness shining in his tone. "I don't even know who this Tess is." Dave stood up and went back to his room. He snatched the stupid phone off the desk, thinking, _This is all _your _fault!_

When he came back, Adelaide was standing with one hand at her forehead, pushing back strands of hair. She appeared troubled and completely unaware he was coming towards her. Her eyes finally turned to him when he sealed the distance between them.

"Here." He forced the word out of his mouth. "You can call her and figure out what she wanted. I don't care." The last bit was hard to say because he was interested in this Tess. And he did care whether Adelaide apologized or not.

Dave set the phone on the coffee table. Glad he was already wearing his shoes, Dave grabbed the jacket on the rack and tugged the door open.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, where are you going?" Adelaide was saying.

Dave shut the door with as much fury as he could muster.

.

.

.

"Hey, ginger! You in here? Where's the Prime Merlinian?"

Sterling noticed the window was already open. He grinned and entered the apartment. He wondered if Dave Stutler was there. Adelaide had to be there. That was what he was counting on.

She was there all right. Adelaide was seated on the couch, bent over a cell phone. She looked really distracted. _Uh oh. This can't be good news,_ Sterling thought. He approached her carefully.

She looked up. "It's you."

"Me," Sterling said cheerfully, offering her a smile. She didn't return it.

"You can go back to the trackers. I'm taking care of Dave." Huh. Where did that aggressiveness come from?

"Where is Dave?"

"…He left."

Sterling blinked in surprise. "Left? Like, he just walked out?"

She didn't reply. "Sterling," Adelaide began, "have you ever been in a relationship?"

The question caught him off guard. He was thinking a snide comment was coming his way. Adelaide liked to toy with Ezra, so why not him?

"Uh, yeah. I've been in a couple but that was mostly in high school and my mid-college days. I quit college and I'm always busy, so I don't have much time for this…"

"This will sound off, but I don't care if it does." She sighed. "Sterling, say you had a girlfriend."

"Okayyyy…" It was definitely weird, but he would go with it.

"Your girlfriend…tends to be petty, and you two get in a fight. How would you make it up to her?"

Easy, Sterling thought happily. "That's it?" he asked. "Okay, here's what I'd do: I wouldn't get her flowers or presents. Because that looks like I'm trying to buy her forgiveness. I would try to get her on a date. It would be a nice place and we'd do stuff she likes. For example, if my girlfriend was a romantic, we'd have make-up dinner at an expensive restaurant with candles and wine."

Adelaide actually seemed appreciative. "Hmm. That's a good idea. Thank you."

"No problemo." He stood there for a while until something hit him. "Hey, you're not trying to ask me out, are you?"

"Do pigs fly?"

.

.

.

For the first time in her adulthood, Adelaide felt guilty.

There was no other word for the ugly clump in her throat. Adelaide wished it would go away, but she knew all too well that wishes never helped. She should have been less herself in the apartment. She should have been more mature.

She should've been more like Becky.

Adelaide stopped cold on the street. People continued to walk by her, none of them sparing her looks. Where did that thought come from?

_Come off it, Adelaide,_ she told herself harshly. _You know exactly where that came from._ It was true. Before teaming up with the good guys, she and Lilith split up watching times. She had been the one who constantly spied on the couple; Adelaide noticed that Becky Barnes—despite being a human whose bones could snap in two minutes—was level-headed.

Adelaide had an attitude problem. Rarely, she blew up. Lilith had been the unlucky girl to be on the receiving end of those blow ups. Lilith usually responded with screaming. Dave probably wanted to shout. But he was the awkward, antisocial types that didn't know how to deal with angry people.

She mulled over Sterling's advice while hurrying after Dave. He was actually thirteen feet away from her, surrounded by a crowd of civilians. She could have been next to him in a matter of minutes, but she had no way of formally apologizing. That was the problem, on top of saying the two accursed words. Maybe she could kidnap him magically and bring to him to some romantic-y place.

No, that wouldn't do. Adelaide would have to improvise.

She silently focused her magic while she started walking towards her "target". Dave was moving sluggishly so it helped her. Finally, Adelaide released her magic. It came off in a sudden blast of myrtle-colored waves. It settled down on some of the civilians' clothes. The magic was as light as dust so no one saw. Immediately, Adelaide saw the effect. Everyone within a six foot perimeter was forced to move as slow as possible. Not that they knew that, of course. With more magic, she made sure she was invisible to the naked eye. In reality, she was still visible. To sorcerers, though.

Adelaide made her way through the crowds of people. She finally made it to Dave. She touched his shoulder and he was affected by the invisible magic as well. He leapt in surprise.

Dave whipped around. He was surprised when he saw the slow-moving people. "What!"

"Magic," she muttered. "Come with me, please."

"No," he protested. "I'm going to meet Becky at NYU."

"Does she know that?"

"No, but it's what boyfriends do. Go." He turned around but Adelaide grabbed his arm. She kept a firm grip.

"Let me go," Dave hissed.

"Listen to me first. I'm sorry for shouting. I'm not lying. Let me make it up to you."

Dave frowned. "I don't want you to make it up to me. I'm upset. And you're making me late."

This wasn't going good. What did she expect? "But _I _want to make it up to you. I have to. You also said you'd be my therapist, remember? We—"

"Um, me being a therapist is how you're gonna apologize? Appreciate it, but no thanks."

He jerked himself free and resumed walking. Adelaide watched him go. She snapped her fingers and released everyone from the magic. Someone almost bumped into her. She didn't bother glaring.

So he wasn't going to let her apologize formally, was he? Fine. She'd have to resort to the cunning ways.


	30. Prompt 095: Origin

Prompt 95 : Origin

Dave was relieved when he caught sight of Becky at the courtyard of the college. Her eyes were right on him from the moment he saw her. He grinned to himself. Whatever anger and humiliation he previously felt was gone. Becky had that effect on him, and he was sure glad she did. He waved her over.

Becky walked quickly. She smiled at him thinly, which was odd. Dave also noticed that she only had a black leather backpack over her shoulder, rather than the bag she carried with her to NYU. There weren't any notebooks in her hands either. But then again, today there were little to none classes.

"Hi," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"I should ask that about you," Dave said, smiling despite his tiny headache. Stupid cold. "How was today?"

"Nothing new," Becky replied. "I want to take you out somewhere. I've been thinking about it. Let's get a cab."

Dave blinked in surprise. A sudden date? That was the perfect way to get rid of his stress. He could forget about Adelaide and relax with his girlfriend.

"That's a great idea," he agreed enthusiastically. Becky gestured for her to follow him. She led him to the edge of the sidewalk where cars passed by. She signaled for a cab; that was easy since there were always taxis around.

A taxi stopped. "You first," Becky suggested. Dave climbed in and waited for her. She took a short time to enter. She gave the driver directions. Dave didn't recognize them. He wondered if it was a special place. Then he thought of money.

"Becky, you're not paying for all of this, are you?"

"I'm taking you out," she answered, "so I should cover expenses. Don't worry about it."

Dave peered out of the window of the taxi. He saw his surroundings morph into a more busier place. It must be downtown. People walked on cracked concrete, some with bags or on their cell phones. Everything was in a buzz of business. Dave spotted pigeons flying away as their cab suddenly paused.

A sudden wave of déjà vu hit him. Dave rubbed his head. Maybe it was the headache? He turned to ask Becky about the place, but she was involved in getting out of the car. She'd already paid the driver his money.

Dave followed her out. Becky smiled at him and gently got a hold of his shoulders. She spun him around slowly. By now, curiosity had gotten the best of him. His eyes snapped forward to see what was in front of him.

"We're at my lab?" he asked, puzzled.

"Yep. I currently don't have a job and didn't get rich of my Morganian vices." The voice changed from the sweet voice that was Becky's to a throaty but feminine kind. Dave knew it well; it wasn't any enemy of his.

"Adelaide," Dave said with irritation. "I said I wanted you to go away. You pretended to be Becky, which is lying to me, on top of the other things you did. Is this how you prove you're helping us?"

"No, it's how I prove my apologetic-ness," Adelaide said awkwardly. She frowned at her the jumble of words. "Either way, I'm proving something."

.

.

.

"The Tesla coils are decorated," Adelaide said, faking a cough, as they entered Dave's lab. "See?"

They weren't the only things altered, Dave thought. The whole room was transformed. It was cleaner than usual, he noted. Most traces of dust and cobwebs were gone. He was thankful for that, at least. Some sort of magic covered the walls. They glittered slightly like actual stars, but it clashed horribly with the bricks. There was a table in the middle but it wasn't that cliché white-cloth affair you saw in the films. Dave would've appreciated the thought; this table was circular, brown, and old. It belonged in Balthazar's shop. There weren't even apology gifts on the table—just plates of food. And licorice.

"I'll never be able to get this off the walls," Dave said. He bound down the steps, which were also covered—or a better word for it, _littered_—with the shiny material. He ran over to the walls and inspected them carefully. The stuff was practically studded into the bricks. "You're going to clean this away, right? Because I don't know much magic."

"This was my way of saying sorry," Adelaide said bitterly. He jumped. She was a few spaces away from him. He hadn't even heard her.

Dave walked over to his Tesla coils. They were in the same state as before, which was a huge breath of relief. Unfortunately, not everything was good. The coils were glowing blue faintly and sparks radiated from the top. He was surprised by the whole thing. His ears opened up as he recognized what was happening: she was using them to make music, just as he'd done before.

"Hey," Dave said, turning on her. Accusation shone in his tone. "What's with my Tesla coils? Y-You're stealing my moves!"

"I…peeked into your Incantus, just a little," she admitted. "I only wanted to see about the coils. Ezra mentioned them when we talked last night."

"When you two were watching me?"

"Yes."

"He knew about the coils?" Dave closed his eyes and attempted to figure out the song playing. It wasn't his and Becky's tune. That would've twisted him uncomfortably.

"Took me a while to figure it out," Adelaide said, gesturing to his contraption, "but eventually, I got it. Ezra knew about the coils from Becky, who in turn, had spoken to him a couple of weeks before. She was staying at Arcana Cabana and came down to find him reading a book. I don't know. It's their business."

"So you're stealing my moves?" Dave repeated.

"…I thought this was a good way to apologize."

Dave shrugged. He forced himself to stop mid-shrug. No, he told himself. "Well," Dave mumbled, "I feel forgiving now."

"The whole get-up is cheap," Adelaide muttered. "It's obvious. But I did the best I could without blowing up anything you liked or ruining the room."

"Couldn't you have just done what girls do in the movies?"

Adelaide raised a thin eyebrow. "I haven't had much time to watch films; what do the girls do?"

Dave walked over to the table and eyed the food suspiciously. "For starters, they don't take form of another person."

"I don't expect _that_ in a movie," Adelaide said. "But it's a good way to get someone to accompany you. You should learn disguising yourself as another."

"No." He shook his head. "Be someone else? Gross. And it's too Morganian."

She pulled out an ancient-looking chair. "Look, Dave," she began. "I'm not into the romantic crap. I won't give you chocolates or roses or get-well cards. This is casual, with a hint of idiocy. Which suits us exactly."

Dave kept quiet for a moment. Then, he spoke up. "You made a mistake."

"What did you say?"

"The get-well cards," Dave said sheepishly. "Girls don't get guys those kinds of cards when they're trying to apologize."

She threw up her hands. "I can't do this right. Sit down and let's try to soothe over our problems."

"I kinda assumed you were the problem," he commented, sitting down.

"Thank you, Dave." Adelaide sat down. "But Sterling suggested dinner, so it's dinner you're getting."

"Sterling?" The name of the tracker brought images to his mind. "You told him about the insults? And Tess?"

She shook her head and pulled off her black gloves. She set them down at the foot of the chair. "I asked him to pretend he had a petty girlfriend and they got in a fight. I wanted expert advice on this thing. I haven't done this before."

"Really? But everything's so perfect," Dave said, failing at his attempt at sarcasm. Then he resumed his normal voice. "Hold on. A petty girlfriend? Was that what I was called?"

She changed the subject. "Try something." She waved a hand. The thin bottle on the table moved by itself, popped open, and poured a liquid into both cups.

Dave didn't see any labels on the bottle. "What was that?" he asked warily.

"Water placed in a fancy bottle," Adelaide answered. "Try something; I made sure the apology-food would be good."

He eyed everything tentatively. The only thing that looked safe and mildly appealing was the licorice. He held up a string. "This was the alternative to chocolate?" he said, unable to help himself.

"I don't have a lot of money. The downside to being a past Morganian. I'll tell you about it. Remember? Therapy?"

"I life story and an apology," Dave said. "This is turning out to be quite the morning."

"I think you would understand me a bit better if I told you about myself," Adelaide explained. "It must be difficult to have me around. I would apologize, but that's like me asking you to stop being a herd."

"A…herd? What is that?"

"It's a combo of nerd and half because you're only half a nerd." She paused. "I just made that up."

"Okay." Dave cracked a small smile, but forced it down. "And you're crude."

She toyed with the pale bowl of goop with her spoon. A mischievous gleam lit up her eyes. "Is that a combination of rude and creep?"

"Nope. It's an actual word."

Adelaide frowned. "Hmm." She swallowed and then stabbed her spoon at the dishes. "You didn't have breakfast, right? So eat."

He decided to sample food because she was being so insistent. Dave thought it was actually somewhat nice of her to get all this. Of course, it was to apologize, but she had noticed he'd missed breakfast. Dave ate hesitantly.

"Where should I start?" she mused.

"Anywhere," Dave replied. "But preferably the beginning."

"All right. I'll tell you about my childhood in a brief summary, because it was as healthy as anyone else's," Adelaide murmured. She said this without sarcasm, so Dave knew she had to be serious. "My mother and father didn't argue; they were happily married and I was their only child. Both of them had the ability to use magic. But I still went to the human schools; thankfully, my parents pulled me out so I could be homeschooled. I didn't have many friends and I wasn't lonely. My closest friends included Jessie and Nicole. All of them were what I needed."

Adelaide paused to drink and then continued. Dave took the time to wonder how she dealt with that kind of childhood. It was fair, he decided, but why did she talk about it like it was nothing? As if she was just staying with relatives on the vacation? Dave scolded himself; he didn't remember his own past. He shouldn't delve through others'.

"My parents had a family friend who was a dedicated Morganian. She was kind to her allies and to us," Adelaide informed him. "But if you were her enemy, she wouldn't think twice about striking you. Her name was Sara. My parents thought ten was a ripe age to begin my training. I wasn't supposed to learn about human things anymore. Sara was French, sharp, and an expert in the Morganian arts, as well as Arthurian histories. She took me to her farm around the country parts of the United Kingdom. I learned much. I even know the advanced spells.

"But of course, I was pulled into the magical world. I remember that sometimes, Sara led me up to my room and have the door shut—that happened when an enemy of hers was coming. I was kind of like her daughter. Or less affectionately, her cousin twice removed. She did protect me, although she could be harsh.

"I wanted to be a powerful Morganian. I would look at my hand mirror and think to myself: I have Morgana's red hair and I learn well. I was jealous of the woman. I wanted to be strong and important, like her. I spent more time learning spells and practicing, instead of fooling around.

"Over the course of three months, I was able to injure quite an amount of Merlinians. Never kill, though. The idea of murdering someone made my stomach turn. Sara commented on that once or twice, but she didn't push me; that would mean less trouble for her.

"And then something horrible happened. I received news that my father had been killed by a Merlinian during a fight. They were arguing over money, I think. I was not overly curious for details. I tried to find the man that killed him. It took me weeks to track down every magical trail and print. But eventually I found…the person. It wasn't a man, to my intense surprise. I had suspected a male because they're more common.

"It was a woman. I ambushed her in a private area. She managed to subdue me by placing barriers over herself. She didn't kill me; instead, she explained the entire situation. My father hadn't been murdered after all. Mother had been secretly fighting with him. He left her in the middle of night and didn't come back. I was stunned. My own mother kept this from me."

Dave didn't believe her tone. It was as if they were discussing the weather. Dave would be furious if he found out his mother lied about his father leaving.

_But that never occurred, did it? Your mother left and Derrick stayed._

A hard knot formed in Dave's stomach. "Please. Continue," he found himself saying.

"Yes, yes, I was getting to the good parts." She grinned momentarily. "So. The woman's part in all this was that she was pretending to be his supposed killer. I don't know how Mother got her to agree to it. To assume the role as a murderer? To think you took someone's life when you never even knew them? Ludicrous. But Christine, as was her name, didn't think so.

"Seeing as I could find people, even though I was a tad clumsy, she offered me lessons. I was going to learn how to become more skilled at tracking, at watching. I quickly agreed. It was stupid to do so swiftly, but I was still young.

"I did learn. It was a fine thing, tracking. But in itself was scandal. It was wrong and I knew it. It was at that time I actually considered giving up and starting over. Ah, but I succumbed to influence, time and time again. Christine found Lilith, a fellow Morganian, and set me up as my partner. Lilith and I grew to be the best of friends. We worked well. So I stayed, only because of Lilith. She was the first person that was unfamiliar to me. Everyone else was fake, in my mind.

"We got jobs finding Merlinians for people. Getting revenge for Morganians who didn't want their hands dirty. I didn't partake in the killings. Lilith was a soft girl. We had them finished off in other ways."

"What ways?" Dave questioned. He pushed back his plate of food. "I thought you said…"

"I know what I said," Adelaide replied. "We killed their magical selves. They would end up paralyzed so they could no longer do magic… Sometimes we stole their rings and handed them over to our employers. And very rarely…would we erase their memories."

"All of them?" Dave demanded.

"No. Their memories of magic."

He blinked. He never thought there would be other ways to settle a score with someone. Of course, his own ring had been taken. As were his memories gone. That counted as ways of revenge. But no one wanted revenge on him, as far as he knew.

"You know the rest," sighed Adelaide. "A man came to us with promises of money and gain. He said he wanted us to find you, but we shouldn't harm you as much. He wanted you to test something." She frowned. "I don't know much. He didn't seem to trust us."

Dave said nothing.

"I'll die someday. But I better be on the good side long before that happens."

"You're already on the good side," Dave pointed out. "You're helping us."

She laughed bitterly. "It's not that easy. Now, about Tess. She's Sara's relative. Cousins, I believe? She and I met long back, while I was with Lilith in the Morganian tracking business. She went through records to find me. I stayed with her as a vacation, right on her farm. Well, it used to be Sara's farm. Lilith and I jousted there. It was quite the sight."

"She called and said she had good deals for you." Dave licked at his lips nervously. "What does that mean? Does she know you're not a Morganian anymore?"

"Tess is neutral," Adelaide explained shortly. "But no worries. I'll tell her everything. It's been a long time since I've seen her. Not that long in reality, but to me. I have no idea what she means by deals. She never gave me any offers before."

"How come you were mad at me?" Dave asked, the harsh memory coming back to him. "It's not as if I knew about Tess."

"I was mad because Tess is an important figure," Adelaide said quietly. "She doesn't call just to say hello. It has to be serious if she dials my cell. Especially if she dials my emergency cell." She grimaced.

Adelaide waved her hand and the gruesome decorations on his lab walls disappeared. "You finished eating?"

Dave hadn't touched much. "Yep," he said.

She used magic to get rid of everything else. The music stopped. Dave was grateful. The gesture was as nice as she could get, but that was a personal thing between him and Becky. It didn't help he could no longer remember it. Adelaide brought out the cell phone she'd given Dave and sat back down.

"Where did the food go?"

"In your fridge," she said. "No sense in wasting food."

He scowled but didn't argue.

"Okay," Adelaide said. "I'll talk to Tess. Do you want to stay or shall I take you back to Ms. Barnes?"

Hostility seemed to color her tone when she said his girlfriend's name. "Why are you against normal people?" Dave wanted to know. "They're not all monsters. There are a lot of decent people out there, like Becky and Bennet, my roommate. And they have it harder than we do. At least we have magic."

"And with that comes half a life of apprenticeship, whereas the other half goes to making decisions humans wouldn't have to make." She stood up. "They have it good, Dave."

He didn't want to start another fight. Let her think what she wants, Dave internally told himself. "I want to go to Balthazar's first," Dave said. "For training reasons. If we're going to prepare that trap…I'll need to learn."

Adelaide grimaced. "Right."


	31. Prompt 072: Ego

Prompt 72 : Ego

"Adelaide Rosco? Is this you?"

The French accent took Adelaide by surprise. Tess hadn't called her some time; it felt good and unnerving to hear her voice again. Here was someone familiar to her—but someone who was pulling her back into her past lifestyle again.

She took a deep breath. "It's me, Tess. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Cut the pleasantries," said Tess coldly. "I want to know who that boy was."

Adelaide assumed this was Dave. "The one who picked up?"

"Him. I can only guess this is another one of your boy toys."

Adelaide wasn't irritated, but the comment did penetrate her shield a bit. With her free hand, she rubbed her forehead, trying to get some real air. She and Dave were still at the lab and the entire place was reeking of foreign odors. She wondered how he dealt with it.

"I have had very few _boy toys_," Adelaide said, "in my life. And even then they weren't even toys." They were young men who she had a good time with and promptly forgot about. The splits were completely mutual, so they couldn't even be classified as boy toys.

"Either way, he's in on your personal business. Am I correct? Is this one aware of your Morganian affairs?"

"It's been too long, Tess," Adelaide sighed. "You don't the changes I've made. I'll admit, they aren't the best, but I'm doing all I can to make sure I'm not _that_ person anymore."

"Wait, wait one moment. Changes? Tell me about them."

Adelaide patiently explained the whole situation, from beginning to end, but left out the part about the Prime Merlinian. She instead claimed the amnesiac boy was an apprentice to a mediocre Merlinian. She was relieved Dave went out to go get Balthazar; she wouldn't have wanted him to hear the personal conversation. She also wished to keep her reaction a secret. Tess could bring out the tiniest sparks in her. When Adelaide was done, she squeezed her eyes in anticipation.

Tess exhaled. It was audible even on the phone. "…Well. I'm honestly…stunned at the turn of events. I always thought you would stick to the Morganian agenda."

"Now doesn't _that_ make me feel special," Adelaide mumbled.

"Do not be so dramatic," Tess said disapprovingly. "Now. Enough friendliness. I am here to talk on a professional level. I said I had good deals. Did this boy pass on the message?"

"Yes."

"All right. I was going to offer you this revenge job in Surrey; there is a Morganian who is eager to get rid of his wife."

Oh boy. "What did she do to piss him off so badly?"

"Slept with another man—Merlinian. She tried to defend herself by saying he got her drunk and proceeded to take her to bed, but her husband knows the truth. He told me she's been planning on turning," Tess said. "He wants her magic gone so she can't be of use to anyone."

"That's a crappy marriage there, but I can't do anything about it," Adelaide said. "Get someone—"

"I didn't mention the price, did I? He is willing to pay a grand for the job. All American dollars."

Adelaide did a double-take. If the sum was low, she wouldn't have taken the job at all. Back then, when she was incredibly desperate, Adelaide willingly accepted around three hundred. But she was no longer in the business.

"No," she said firmly. "I just told you, I'm finished. Can't you get someone else?"

"Adelaide," Tess murmured. "If I could find another, why would I have called you?"

Adelaide was about to say she didn't understand and hang up. But it sunk in. She grabbed the nearest chair and sunk into it. If Tess wasn't calling for a business purpose, she must have wanted something else.

"I… Why did you offer me the job, Tess?"

"Listen, Adelaide. Things have been different back here too. The entire business is going downhill. Too many Morganians leaving, most of them now pretending to be human. Do you know why? Blame it on Morgana's death. They are afraid they will be caught. You're the only person so far who will actually do the job."

Of course the Morganians at the tracking business were frightened. The people offered the gig were somewhat weak; they wouldn't kill anyone and sometimes hesitated to actually attack. Adelaide hated murders, but she'd physically injure a person if necessary. Nonetheless, she was reformed.

"Sorry, Tess."

She sounded a little affronted. "No? Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes, I am. Now don't call me anymore unless something's important."

"You know my policy," Tess said irritably. She was certainly insulted by Adelaide's resignation.

"I do. Goodbye."

"Wait, Adelaide. Could I at least come over? Perhaps get a look at the boy?"

Adelaide froze up. Tess was neutral but she was critical at times. And she had many Morganian contacts… It would not go over well if Balthazar found out. Tess could go nowhere near Dave. What would she do if she found out about his status? Adelaide wasn't sure, but she couldn't allow Tess to visit.

"I don't believe that would be a good idea," she said, choosing her words carefully. "He has amnesia and we still haven't recovered his ring. It would stir up more noise, if you understand, Tessie."

She didn't answer. Finally, she said, "Then why don't we meet up in secret? It won't be anything too drastic. Just a simple visit between friends."

"Between boss and employee. _Not_ between friends," Adelaide murmured crisply. "We've never been close."

"I implore you to let me come," Tess said. Her voice was nowhere near pleading. "Let's talk."

The door began to open. Sounds came from the hall. If Adelaide said no, Tess was bound to call later. Saying yes meant that she could visit, only once, and then leave her alone. It was the only option she had.

"Fine," she hissed. She quickly gave Tess the address to Arcana Cabana. "Don't call anymore."

"I'll find it," the other woman promised before hanging up. Adelaide placed the cell phone on the desk. Her eyes traveled up the staircase, where three figures were. It was Dave and Balthazar, just as expected, but with an extra person.

"Not at the antique shop?" Adelaide asked breezily.

"No," Becky replied simply, shrugging her shoulders. She set her bag on the side of the staircase and watched Balthazar walk to the middle of the room.

"Let me find a chair for you," Dave said.

"She can have mine," Adelaide said. "I'll sit on the desk." She got up and placed herself on said spot. Becky took the chair with thanks.

Balthazar formed Merlin's Circle. Bright green flames leaped up from the solid gray concrete. They seemed to be reaching for Dave. He looked more confident than usual as he approached the Circle.

They were learning about fire. Dave damaged only a few things. It was mostly the walls getting the hits. Adelaide thought he caught only quickly. He was the Prime Merlinian, though. Of course he would. Adelaide looked at Becky, who was currently readjusting her seat on the chair. She was intrigued with the training.

Balthazar taught Dave a little about water moves next, right after finishing up with the fire lessons. The Circle was extinguished after they were done. Balthazar gave Dave pages to read in the Incantus and then mentioned something about Veronica feeling ill.

"I trust you enough not to get him killed," Balthazar said to Adelaide. He was not making any attempts at humor.

"And I trust you enough to shave," Adelaide returned.

"I'm glad we have an understanding." Balthazar said his goodbyes and walked up the stairs. He reminded Dave about practicing. But Adelaide noted how gently he rubbed his chin as he left.

"Do you think you can finish all those pages?" Becky questioned before going on to tease him about burning the walls.

It was something about the Incantus…that bothered Adelaide. She suddenly remembered her own. It had been shrunken years ago, and was currently sitting in her black bag. Adelaide had not taken a look at for years.

"Dave," she interrupted. "If you two are going to hang out, you need to go to your apartment. So let's move."

They arrived at Dave's place. Adelaide dialed Ezra, but it went straight to voicemail. She decided to call Jocelyn. She wasn't doing anything, probably.

"I'll have to bring Ilana, then," Jocelyn said tiredly.

"Fine."

Adelaide gave Dave back her—now_ his_—phone. She left the couple to talk. Dragging her black bag to the fire escape, she sat down and tried to make herself comfortable. Wasn't happening. Adelaide ignored the annoyance of sitting in such tight jeans and found her small Incantus. She went to the pictures. They were set in a single separate block and pretty easy to locate.

One of the best things of having these vivid drawings was that they only appeared if you wanted them to. Adelaide didn't want the picture of her leaving the apartment, and even more, leaving her friend? Fine. It wouldn't appear.

Adelaide had some drawings in her Incantus. Not everything in her life had been particularly nasty. There were some pictures of her and her parents, along with Sara… Her mother, father, master, and Lilith eventually morphed into Balthazar and his wife, Becky, the trackers, and the Prime Merlinian himself. If she ever showed these to someone, they would probably be blown away.

There was an image of her and Tess speaking with one another in Dave's lab. Adelaide frowned at herself. She was not vain and hardly cared about her looks (except for being filthy), but she appeared distressed here.

What was it about Tess that made her like that? She was important. Possibly because Tess was the only person from her past whom she had a tie with. Lilith and the others were gone.

Adelaide snapped the Incantus close. Oh well. She could make new acquaintances. Like always.

.

.

.

"Shoot," Dave mumbled. "Tomorrow is our date with my dad."

"You don't sound exactly happy about it," Becky pointed out.

"I'm keeping secrets from him. Everyone knows I'm a terrible liar," Dave said as he dug around the kitchen for some drinks. "My own father will notice if anything is out of place."

"Why can't we just tell him about…the whole thing? You told me."

"That was different," Dave said. "I told you because for one reason, I didn't have a choice. And for another, I actually care for you. You deserved to know."

Becky slid to him and took out the cups. "Tea helps people relax. Let me make some." While she searched for the teapot, she added, "But you care for Derrick too, obviously. It doesn't make sense not to tell him. He's a big part of your life."

Dave was quiet. Becky paused. She felt uncomfortable now. The feeling grew and finally settled into her stomach. Not good, she thought. Becky turned her head and looked up at Dave. He was still standing, his eyes intently focused on the sink.

"Dave? Are you okay?"

Dave shook his head. "I don't really know."

"About what?" Becky asked, suddenly alarmed. She wasn't the overprotective girlfriend but she would definitely react if Dave was being like this. "Dave, what's the problem here?"

"Amnesia. It's that." He shimmied down to the tiled floor of the kitchen. His back was against the bottom cupboards. He rested his head.

Becky sat next to him. Gingerly, she said, "Amnesia sucks. It's hard on everyone. But you care for everyone you still know, right?"

"I care for you, absolutely. And my master and his wife… But it's the little people who I'm supposed to talk to every day," Dave said, his eyes on the ceiling. "I barely know anything about my own father. And I'm not sure how connected I was to him before the memory loss. I don't even know if I love him anymore."

Becky gave a little gasp. "No. You do love him. Derrick's not some random stranger off the street."

"To me, he is. He doesn't feel like anyone important when I see him. It's hard to keep up with my dad, Becky. I'm sure I loved him before, somehow, but not now. Thanks to amnesia, I no longer feel anything for my father." He folded his hands into fists.

"Give him some time, Dave," Becky said softly. She didn't know what to do or say in this situation. This sucked. This sucked hard. Why did she have to be the one with the amnesiac boyfriend? Why did it have to be this _difficult?_ As horrible as it sounded, Becky would rather have someone else have this problem instead of her.

"I will. I'm not heartless. I'm just telling you it's unnatural. But maybe in time, Derrick will start to feel like family. Like he's my father."

"He will," Becky said in a strong voice. "Now, about the tea…" Becky focused her attention on making the beverage. She told Dave to go ahead and sit on the couch.

When she was done, she poured the tea into regular-sized mugs. Dave didn't have the cozy teacups Balthazar did.

"Thanks," he wearily said as he accepted the cup. "Sorry about shoving all this on you, Becky."

"I'm your girlfriend. I'm supposed to share the pain." She offered him half a smile.

"From now on, I should keep my mouth shut," he said quietly. "That way, no one has to worry."

"Dave…"

"Becky. Don't worry, okay? I can handle it."

He was lying, just a little. But if Dave wanted it this way, she would have to comply. She silently sipped her tea and then kissed his cheek.

"If you don't mind…" Dave set his teacup on the coffee table and turned to her. There was some happiness in his eyes, chasing away the other feelings.

"I don't." Becky's lips found his. The tea lay forgotten.


	32. Prompt 018: Subway

**_A/N: _**_Finally, an update. A short one at that...but..._

* * *

Prompt 18 : Subway

Subways _suck._ Sure, they're great for transportation and more or less one of the best traveling inventions around, but when it came down to it, Dave wanted to avoid subways completely. For one thing, it was always the place he got attacked. Being amnesiac hadn't put a damper on his memories; Becky made sure to tell him every detail. Thanks to her, Dave knew that the subway was one of the places he was tackled by a Morganian.

Like now.

Dave, recalling the tactics Balthazar taught him, threw a line of fire directly at his attacker. It successfully distracted Lilith, whose face was frozen in shock. Dave was grateful for the training and whipped around. He began running towards the staircase; some hope of escape filled his body. Of course, when Lilith arrived and he recognized her face, he had a feeling that would not be possible.

A curse erupted. It reminded Dave to move faster. He forced his legs to its extreme speed limit as Lilith began resuming her previous anger.

He wished he knew other offensives. Plasma bolts would only hold her off for so long and his shields were no use against someone more experienced. Dave didn't want to risk anyone else's life when using the fire. The last resort were water spells but where the heck would water be on a subway?

Dave reached the stairs and ran down them without tripping. He balanced himself using the railing. He was so focused on getting away that he didn't see the metal melting. A light sizzling noise alerted him to the removal of the railing. Dave cried out in shock. Tiny sparks of pain exploded on his palms.

Dave turned around sharply, a plasma bolt prepared. He sent a few of them hurling at her head, but they were missed or met with a strong shield. Lilith waved her hand. A ferocious wave of fire leaped at him. Dave fell to the floor. His backside stung and his arms hurt from the hard concrete. Quick looks over the shoulder told Dave that the way out were mere inches away.

Lilith was one step ahead of him. The concrete around him shook and eventually pipe bulged out. They burst from the ground, hastily throwing themselves over his legs and torso. He was effectively trapped, at the mercy of a possibly vengeful Morganian.

Dave watched as Lilith took her sweet time to stroll down the stairs. Her fingers went to the railing but realized they were gone due to her magic. She smiled, shaking her head to herself. Lilith was then at his side, bending over on one knee. Dave felt his heartbeat multiple.

"You've seen me before, haven't you, Dave?" she asked. There was no trace of a smile on her face, but her tone was pleasant.

She groped the pockets of his jeans. Finally, she paused. "Ah. A cell phone." Lilith removed Adelaide's phone. As soon as she saw it, she frowned. She clicked some buttons.

"This is yours?" Lilith snapped at him.

"Yes," he said.

She frowned even further. "No. No, it can't be. There aren't even contacts. And the list says you only called three people."

Dave felt the urge to shrug, but the pipes kept him in place.

"Well, it is your social life after all…" Lilith didn't destroy the phone, thankfully.

She set it by her side and gave him a hard look. "So," she said. "As awkward and confusing as this must be for you, I have to get a move-on." Lilith retrieved something from her own pocket. Dave recognized it as one of those old watches with chains. The glass was cracked a bit. Dave didn't even think it worked anymore.

"This. Do you know what this is?" Lilith tapped the glass of the watch.

"No," Dave admitted.

A sigh. "I thought so. It's an item that has been enchanted. My employer—well, you can simply call him Matthias. He's tampered with the watch; now instead of telling time, it finds people, so to speak."

"Finds people?"

"Yes, but so to speak, as I mentioned before," Lilith said. "Matthias tells me it used to work wonderfully before. But then it met an accident, rendering it useless. However…" She drew up her chest and it heaved.

Dave craned his neck around her, trying to see if anyone was coming. Surely no one human, because Lilith took care of them. But there was zero indication of Balthazar or Veronica.

Lilith chuckled. "No one's coming for you, Dave. So let's be reasonable and put that thought out of our heads, all right?"

"What does the watch have to do with me?" Dave asked, changing subjects.

"It has everything to do with you." A faraway look entered her eyes. "Matthias says the watch can be fixed, with just the right amount of power. And who better to repair this watch than the Prime Merlinian himself?"

Dave protested. "But there are others. I'm sure you can find others."

"Stupid boy! If he found others, you wouldn't be in this situation right now! Morganians have gone into hiding; the Merlinians are trying to round them up, and they're desperate after Morgana died."

He was silent as he took in the information.

"…Your employer. He's convinced I can fix his watch?"

Lilith nodded. "Matthias knows what he is talking about. He's been studying enchanted items for a long time now."

"Lilith," Dave said. An idea suddenly occurred. "Adelaide. You know she's on our side now, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do! And I'm not happy about it," Lilith said, grounding her teeth together. "My best friend and partner, leaving for some Merlinian scum."

"Adelaide and I have talked, Lilith," Dave informed her, desperately trying to get to her. She had to have some sense of right and wrong. "She thinks he's going to betray you, or something like that. He doesn't think he can be trusted."

"She told me those things too, Dave. And I don't believe they're true. Matthias _will _stick to his word," she insisted.

Dave pondered at her tone. It sounded devoted to this Matthias. She spoke of him like the Greeks did of their gods. Would Dave think of enough to stop her from acting anything out?

He tried one more time. "Lilith. Please just listen to me. Adelaide doesn't appear to be an idiot. She's smart and I know she isn't wrong about a lot of things. So if she says Matthias is a liar, don't you agree? What if he's wrong, and I don't have the power to fix it? If it can be fixed at all?"

"It can be," Lilith said coldly, "because if not, you wouldn't be alive, now would you?"

The expression in her eyes told Dave there was no reasoning with this woman. She was serious. Completely dedicated to the guy; no wonder Adelaide left.

"I…guess not," he forced the words out.

Lilith smiled down at him. "You're situation isn't the best. But after the watch is fixed, you can leave. And perhaps get back your memories?"

"That's a lot to offer in return for fixing a little watch," Dave said meekly.

"It's not a normal watch, Dave," she murmured. "And it does not require normal attention. So what do you say? A fair trade; your services for ours?"

Dave was incredibly tempted to say yes. He hadn't felt such urge in months. To just use a little of his Prime Merlinian magic to fix a stupid watch? And to get so much in return… Memories. He would get a flood of memories. What he would give to relive those days with Becky, the ones he couldn't remember.

_"A deal. I'm striking up a deal with you," she said. "If you would like me to get rid of your amnesia, I will do so. I want you to lend me your hands, so to speak. I have a slight problem that needs to be taken care of, and having the Prime Merlinian to assist me would be significant."_

This was what Adelaide had said to him. And it turned out she didn't have the ability to cure him, despite her healing powers.

"I…"

A plasma bolt hit Lilith's back. She cried out as she was thrown to the side. The sound of high heels sounded in Dave's mind. He looked up to see Adelaide and Veronica. The two were armed with plasma bolts. Veronica gave Dave a soft look before her eyes hardened. She moved on to Lilith and restrained her.

Adelaide bent down and swore. She pocketed the phone swiftly. "Damn. Pipes? I expected something more kinky," she commented. Magic sparked from her fingertips. She touched the pipes and they wrenched away from his body. Dave sat up in relief.

"Did she hurt you?" Adelaide inquired as she ran her hands up and down his arms.

"No," he answered quickly. "She could've done worse."

Adelaide nodded. "Veronica," she called. "Please call the trackers. Balthazar. Somebody to clean up the mess she made. I'll deal with her."

"Be careful." Veronica stayed where she was. Adelaide handed her the phone and she dialed in someone's number.

Dave sat up and rested his head against the wall, taking some time to breathe. He watched Adelaide slid up to Lilith. She didn't look enraged or shocked. Just amused. How was that possible?

"Oh, Lilly," Adelaide muttered. "What a silly thing to do. No backup. Just you and a couple of quick tricks. This never happened in the old days; those were the days you stopped _me_ from doing something like this."

Lilith kept her mouth shut. While Adelaide was level-headed, she was obviously not. Anger seemed to roll off her in brittle waves.

"Look what's happened to you," she sighed. "A Morganian man has you wrapped around his fingers. This never—"

"Oh, please! Why mention the old days, because they only happened a few months ago!" Lilith screamed. "Y-You and I! We were such a good team till you got this brilliant idea to turn."

Adelaide smirked. "Lilly. Even then we weren't perfect." She got on her knees and leaned in. "Do you remember when we lived in that horrible old apartment? And sometimes, we resorted to stealing food from the Chinese place in Florida?"

"It was good," Lilith mumbled, but probably due to the fact she had nothing else to say.

"Yes, it was, but we could've had better. I got sick of it, Lilith. What about you? I tried to convince you about your employer… That didn't work."

"His name is Matthias," Lilith told her.

"It might as well be conman." With that, Adelaide got up and knocked her out.

Dave's eyes widened. "Whoa. What was that?"

"A little sleepy-dust action."

Dave gave her the Look.

"Okay, it was the classic knock-out spell," Adelaide said, unabashed. "Now do you want to waste time speaking spells or get this twit back to Arcana Cabana?"

"Adelaide," Veronica called sharply. "Do not toy with him. He's had enough for one day."

"But this only happened 'round fifteen minutes," Adelaide said. Veronica ignored her and continued talking on the cell phone.

.

.

.

The corners of Matthias's lips turned down as he took in the scene. Lilith had not been as good as he expected her to be. She was trying too hard to be Adelaide, he noted. Matthias had come to the conclusion the blonde was interested in upping her image, despite her orders. That unhealthy attachment needed to be severed. Even when Adelaide had betrayed her, she still kept her close.

The others had to be dealt with as well. Matthias knew that with so many people involved, there couldn't be a possible victory. _A stalemate,_ he mused. Of course, now that Lilith was being removed, they'd secured a win. No worries. She would be reclaimed. Somehow, Matthias would retrieve his little helper and get rid of the Merlinians along the way.

He continued to watch. He couldn't get himself caught now. There were too many of them to actually fight off. Matthias did smile, however, when he saw Balthazar arrive and check the blonde's "merchandise". Lilith and Matthias had agreed on making a copy of the watch in case anyone got their hands on it. Thank goodness. Or else Balthazar would've won.

And then something particularly fascinating caught his eye. Another blonde came on scene. She was frantic but calmed down when she saw the Prime Merlinian was safe. They embraced before beginning to talk.

_Perhaps a girlfriend? I should've paid more attention to this than I thought._ Lilith did mention the blonde girl. Her name was allegedly Rebecca Barnes, but Lilith wasn't certain if she was a real love of his or one of those short-lived affairs.

Either way, Matthias intended to find out.

* * *

_The Look was just something I made up. It's the expression Dave makes throughout the movie when he's in disbelief and his voice gets...well, whinier than usual. I simply titled it. But I take no claim for the Look and I am not making any money off it._

Jem Yorke


	33. Prompt 061: Werewolf

Prompt 61 : Werewolf

"Ma'am," the police officer said slowly, raising his hand. "Please try to calm down."

The frantic woman continued to speak shakily. She seemed to miss everything he just said. "I saw it! I did, it was a large wolf of some kind. Too big for an actual wolf; if you don't catch it…"

Ezra looked on curiously. He was one of the many in the crowd surrounding the police cars. He had been wandering around town. Lilith still hadn't woken up; Veronica deduced that Adelaide performed the spell incorrectly. Ezra stationed his trackers at their formal positions. In the meantime, he'd managed to slip away and enjoy the city. Then he came across a frantic woman and police cars. She was rambling on about some wolf.

"Ma'am," the officer cut in. The poor guy was clearly failing at his attempts to settle her fear. "Please. I've already sent a specialized animal unit to catch this wolf. I'm sure they're right on his or her tail."

"You don't understand! It was too big to be a wolf!"

"Wolves grow in different sizes and shapes. Perhaps your eyes were playing tricks," he answered. "There was wolf a while back which we dubbed Hal. He evoked a lot of excitement, but in the end, we caught him. The same will happen here."

"Didn't Hal stop breathing?" she questioned.

Lucky for the officer, the paramedics entered the scene with their usual equipment. They wanted to run some tests on the woman to make sure she wasn't going into shock. Ezra and a couple of others lost interest. They left to go on with their lives. Ezra hoped that thing was caught. He would hate the idea of Camilla being in the same city as a wild animal.

Of course, the wolf wasn't in the best situation either.

.

.

.

Adelaide toyed with her glove-clad fingers. The gloves were worn due to all the trauma they'd gone through. A shame, really. Adelaide loved them; she would have to get replacements. Her eyes suddenly flew over to the sleeping young lady on the couch. She was breathing in and out in the most quietest way. Adelaide remembered Lilith's words. But she wasn't replacing Lilith, was she?

"Adelaide," Lilith moaned.

Adelaide froze.

"Adelaide," Lilith mumbled once more. She turned a little on the couch. "Matthias."

She moved forward cautiously. She placed on hand on Lilith's shoulder before harshly shaking her. The blonde's eyes snapped open. She blinked a little at first instead of reacting. But then she spoke.

"Is this his home?"

"Yes," Adelaide said. "Are you all right?"

"I feel like the female version of Maxim Horvath. And I was being stupid at the subway. So no, Adelaide, I'm not all right."

She was not as furious as Adelaide expected her to be. Running a hand through her hair, she muttered, "Okay, Lilly. I got it."

"But I'm glad you're here right now… Unless this is an illusion?" She was immediately wary. Lilith propped herself up on her shoulders. Her eyes flashed suspicion.

"No. It's all real." A pregnant pause. "Lilith. Is Matthias important to you? Because I think you should hightail it. Leave and start over."

"Like you? I don't think so." There was disgust in her voice. It annoyed Adelaide but she didn't comment. She never knew what it was like to lose a real companion. Adding to the pain wasn't a good idea.

"If that doesn't cut it for you, then perhaps another job? Something less dangerous?" she suggested. Lilith raised her eyebrows. "Really, Lilly. You're not good at this particular job. You got caught."

"I'll do what I want, thank you. And to answer your earlier question, Matthias is very important."

Adelaide sighed. "Is he offering you a large sum of money?"

"He is," Lilith admitted. "But I'm not in it for the money," she added quickly.

But then she gave her a pointed look, causing the blonde to say, "Well, not anymore."

Adelaide frowned. She knew she couldn't tempt Lilith out of the deal and that she wouldn't leave willingly. She would have to interrogate her friend soon, something she honestly wished to avoid. Balthazar would do it…but would he resort to torture tactics? She had no clue.

"Adelaide," Lilith called, her tone suddenly urgent. "Why not let me talk to the Prime Merlinian again? Please? Matthias promises to leave him alone after he fixes the watch."

"Mmm, and why is this watch so special to him? Don't give the crappy sentimental excuse; he doesn't seem like the type."

"He can be nice at times," Lilith said softly. Her eyelids lowered, as if thinking of something else. Maybe she was.

Adelaide tapped her on the shoulder. "Back to us. The watch?"

"It's just an item he wants fixed."

"A huge lie that is, Lilly. Dave told me it could find people. And what person does Matthias exactly want to find?"

Lilith turned her head around sharply. She was wrinkling her noise in distaste.

"Lilith."

No response. It was obvious she wasn't going to reply. Adelaide frowned again.

"I'm going to have to call Balthazar," she said in a strong tone. "If that's how you want it."

"Balthazar Blake?"

"Who else?" Adelaide wondered. "It can be me and you, Lilith, but Balthazar doesn't appreciate what you've done to his apprentice. I'm sure he'll have other ways of holding a conversation with you."

Lilith ignored this piece of information. "I didn't cause his amnesia."

"But you did enough. And you're keeping this information to yourself. Tell me about it. Or speak to me in some way. I don't want to use Balthazar."

"You will," Lilith guessed. "It means you care, correct?"

"For who?"

"That boy. The Prime Merlinian, or known as Dave Stutler. Do you care about him?"

"Again. Let's be specific."

Lilith pushed the blonde strands of hair from her face. "Are you guilty about attacking him? Wrestling him into a deal, assuring him you can help him when you can't?"

_How the hell did she know about _that? Adelaide was positive only she and Dave knew about his kidnapping. She had kept her lips sealed shut. Matthias. Did he know?

"That must be why you're here. Y'know, helping the Merlinians. You pity him."

"Think what you want," Adelaide said, shrugging. But deep inside, she wanted to know how Lilith acquired this information. It was Matthias, perhaps? Had he been keeping tabs on everyone? Or did Lilith know just by watching the two of them? Or was the place bugged?

"Matthias must be a great guy," she suddenly found herself saying, "because he surely came back for you, right?"

Scarlet grew on Lilith's cheeks. She angrily mumbled some choice words under her breath.

"Want to talk?"

"No."

"Your choice." With that, Adelaide unwillingly cast a knock-out spell on the blonde. Lilith succumbed to the influence of the magic before she could even defend herself.

_Oh, Lilly,_ she thought to herself.

.

.

.

"The hospital is St. Carina's, right, David?" Derrick asked.

"That's the place."

Derrick placed the phone between his shoulder and ear while getting into the car. "Did you get my last two emails?"

"Um…no, I didn't check my email. Sorry. I'll get to it." His son did sound a little apologetic, but distracted as well. Derrick frowned unhappily; he decided to push for details.

"Delete the emails. Since we're on the phone, I just want to say I hope you're doing all right," he said. "And I asked for the hospital's address. But since we've got that all cleared up, I was hoping for an update."

Shuffling could be heard in the background. Groans and pants as well. Derrick was absolutely sure he heard a female voice complain about physical damage. His parenting skills kicked in immediately.

"David," Derrick drew out the name sharply. "Are you having sex with anyone?"

Surprise colored his son's tone. "Wha! No way! Those were just some of my friends over. Addie accidentally hurt herself."

He was partially telling the truth. Somewhere, Derrick could sense a light lie. He did not like lies. Only when they were necessary, of course… The car door was jerked open. derrick turned and saw Meg, who was trying to put on the stubborn seatbelt.

Derrick helped her out. "Good?"

"Yeah. Are you and David fighting?" she asked. "You sounded upset."

"He claims he has friends over, but it sounds slightly suspicious. Should I do believe him?" Already, Derrick knew the answer.

Meg offered her palms. "Hey, Mr. Stutler, you're the dad."

Derrick nodded and went back to his son. "David," he said as nonchalantly as he could. "Please put this Addie on the phone. I want to talk to her."

"Der—Dad, it's really not a good time."

"Having your friends over isn't a good time? Hmm," Derrick murmured acidly. "Put her on."

"Okay!"

He could hear David hand the phone over to someone. At least he wasn't fibbing about the friend part.

"This is Derrick Stutler?" It was the exact female voice as before.

"Yes. Are you Addie?"

"Yep. Do you need anything, sir?"

He admittedly was not expecting the respectful, curious tone. He hadn't encountered many college kids interested in chatting with an old dad.

"No, no. I was just dropping in…via cell phone. Everything going fine?"

"Yeah. Just a little pain on my side." She chuckled. It was a gruff noise. "Sorry, Mr. Stutler. I hope you didn't think Dave and I were…"

"NO! Of course not," Derrick babbled. "Could you please put him back on?"

"It would be my _pleasure_," she replied cheerfully.

"Well, you can't blame me for being fatherly," Derrick said as soon as Dave got back the phone. "Anyways, I'm going to the hospital to check over the forms. I want to make sure the medical bills are paid."

"Thanks. Gotta go."

Meg drove them towards the hospital. Derrick prepared himself for the inevitable string of zeros. He was calculating the financial aspects of the medical bills until the car paused. A man was on the sidewalk, scolding a tiny blonde boy. He was a small thing. They were probably father and son.

Derrick thought of David. They weren't as close as they used to be. He should have visited him more often, but the last time he saw David (pre-amnesia days) he was told that there were a lot of college projects that needed to be taken care of.

Derrick had feelings of betrayal when his wife of a few months decided to break off their engagement. She apologized over and over. Derrick couldn't find the heart to be mad at her; but he did want her to go away. While David required a proper mother, he would not force Dana to stay. Especially since she wouldn't fit the parenting bill. His parents weren't there either. So Dana gave birth and paid some of the medical expenses.

Derrick stared at the little boy through the glass. He was small and adorable, yes, but would be without a mother. Although the thoughts of having magic to help cheered him up, it also brought his spirits down. Derrick didn't like the idea of pulling his son into magic; he would have enemies eventually. So he used magic once in a while and kept the secret quiet. Of course, that didn't mean he got away with everything.

"_No, David. We have rules in this house. No snacks until _after _dinner."_

_David, a fussy five-year-old, frowned at his father's words. "I won't take a lot. Just a teensy bit. Like this." He made a sign with his fingers on how much he'd eat._

"_No deal." Derrick turned around and preoccupied himself with getting the plates. David sat next to him, unhappy he wasn't getting anything sweet. Derrick accidentally fumbled with a plate. His eyes widened as it fell to the ground. With a quick snap of his fingers, the plate flew right back in his hands._

"_How did you do that?" David demanded._

_Derrick mentally cursed. He didn't know the kid had been watching. "Er, I used common sense."_

"_What's that?"_

"_You know what, David, I changed my mind; you can have a cookie."_

_The five-year-old was pleased. He forgot about the magic in an instant._

But then that bit with the Incantus occurred. He was so stupid, to leave it out in the drawer like that. Derrick thought it was a bit pointless, though. Balthazar Blake and Veronica Blake. Their names were too outdated and surely in his Incantus. He hadn't said anything. For one thing, his son was unaware of magic. And for another, perhaps Becky Barnes was actually a part of the Blake bloodline, and she herself had no idea.

"We're here, Derrick."

Derrick's thoughts vanished as he and Meg stepped out of the car. They entered St. Carina's and went straight to a desk. There was a woman there. She pointed them out to a Dr. Connelly. Derrick and the doctor spoke, with Meg making a few medical comments here and there. She was fascinated with medicine.

Derrick didn't mind paying bills, but there was something about this place that made him shudder.

.

.

.

"I'm here," Tess said.

"What are you saying?" Adelaide demanded.

She sighed. "I mean that I am here in New York. At Arcana Cabana."

"Damn! Okay, okay. I'm coming. Don't move a muscle."

"I can't make any promises," Tess murmured. "Oh, yes, another thing. Did you hear about the werewolf at Macy's?"


	34. Prompt 066: Cave

Prompt 66 : Cave

"A werewolf?" Dave repeated, blinking skeptically.

"You bet," Balthazar sighed. "We all think it's Matthias, which is the best answer. Adelaide put Lilith under the spell moments ago. Lilith refuses to speak about him. But Adelaide is going to use a different approach."

"Okay. So what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't want you anywhere near this thing, especially after Lilith's little attack. Matthias could be planning this to work in his favor. Veronica and I are going with the trackers."

"Balthazar," Dave protested. "I can't just sit around while everyone else does the work."

"Dave. You don't have that much training. And may I remind you the power the elder sorcerers have?"

"I don't want anyone to get hurt because of me," Dave said numbly.

"You put a lot of faith into us," Balthazar muttered. "But look, Dave. You can help us by staying at the apartment. Becky will be with you and there's Adelaide. You won't be in trouble with her around. No one needs a kidnapping. Sit tight and let us handle this."

"But Balthazar—"

"Don't argue with me, Dave. We really need to get the wolf under control and I can't waste precious time. Do _not_ get into any trouble. Goodbye."

He hung up. Dave frowned. He placed the cell phone back on his computer desk. He went back to the living room where everyone was residing. Ilana sat up straighter. She smiled at him softly and said, "Don't worry."

"I'll try," Dave said, offering the young girl a smile. "Are you all right? That's a brave thing your mother is doing."

"The werewolf situation?" She snorted. "No way. Mom's faced tougher things; besides, she has her friends with her. I think we're all going to die of boredom while they get in on the excitement."

Adelaide looked up from Lilith. "Are you that sure, Ilana?"

"Definitely. I wish I could go too," she murmured.

"It's a werewolf. Not a puppy," Adelaide reminded her.

"Mom doesn't let me doing anything. She won't even let me get a master. Percival and Ezra offered," Ilana explained. She ran her fingers through her hair while wearing a frown. "She thought it was too dangerous for me. But she does all the magic she wants."

"She takes you with her on tracking jobs," Becky pointed out.

"Yeah, but I usually stay at hotels or other places."

"That's too bad," Adelaide said. "But when you're older, she'll be gone and you can do anything you want."

"Adelaide," Dave said sharply.

"Shh." She focused on Lilith again. She grasped the blonde's hands in her own. Dave wasn't sure what spell she was trying. Adelaide continuously shook while light sparks glowed from their intertwined hands. Lilith didn't wake up and Adelaide kept on grunting in frustration.

"You want some help?" Dave offered. It was the least he could do. Everyone else was handling his mess.

"Sure. The Prime Merlinian's power could be a benefit," Adelaide gasped as another attempt failed. "Sit next to me."

Dave complied.

"For this spell, you gotta make contact with her. Hold her hand," she ordered. She released one of her hands for Dave. "Clear your mind, as always, and try to connect with her mind. Get into her head and memories. Push as far as you need to. We'll both view as much as we can."

"We're going to see inside them?" he questioned as he held Lilith's hands.

"Yes; we're going to see the most recent memories. We need the information. Matthias must've mentioned his plans to her. The werewolf thing has to be here somewhere."

"But the spell—is it too difficult?"

"It's hard, but with enough power and concentration, it'll work," Adelaide replied. "Now let's begin. I think we'll get it right away."

Dave shut his eyes. That seemed to help him clear his head. He pretended he was grabbing all the memories he had and put them all in a box. He locked up every thought he had. Dave then proceeded to let the magic flow.

He was not prepared for what happened next. Instead of failing like he initially thought they would, Dave's entire body tingled with energy. Lilith's magic was warming up them. He knew that it was working and that they would be getting a peek into her mind.

"No."

This was Adelaide speaking. She sounded very uncertain. Dave did not push. But when he didn't get any view of memories, he began to shudder. It felt as if ice was racing through his veins. Dave tried to jerk his hand free or open his eyes—

.

.

.

Adelaide instantly let go of Lilith's hand. Her every nerve was frozen. She held her own hand to her chest, trying to slow down her breathing. She suddenly looked at Dave. He was on the floor, eyes closed and skin paler than usual.

Becky launched into panic mode quickly. "Dave!" she screamed his name. "Dave! Wake up!" She ran over to his body and checked his pulse. Relief painted her face.

"Oh my God!" Ilana raced over to the two. "Is he okay?"

"Thankfully, he's alive," Becky said hoarsely. "But he's unconscious." She grabbed hold of his shoulders and shook him.

Ilana pushed her aside gently. "Becky. Calm down. Let me look at him; the spell was probably too much for him and knocked him out," she suggested. Ilana felt Dave's forehead.

"No," Adelaide said sharply. "No, it wasn't too much."

Becky snapped. "Oh, really? So what was it?"

She ignored the blonde. She sat down next to Ilana, giving the girl a serious look. "You won't be able to revive him," she said. "We were performing the spell correctly. There was just something on Lilith that caused a blowup. Dave's very powerful. Holding on so long and not pulling away in time…" She took his arm and gestured for Ilana to help.

"He's gonna wake up, though, right?" Ilana demanded as they set him on the couch. "He has to."

"Don't worry about his health. He'll wake up. But I want to know how that charm could've been on her. Lilith had no time to cast in on her during the subway raid."

"She could have had it before," Becky muttered.

"No. While it's a good theory, it's not Lilith. She's smarter than me in tracking," Adelaide said as she checked Dave's body, "but not at preparing. She's still young. Loose."

"And I don't know if Lilith knew exactly what spell would be used on her," Ilana added.

"That's right. So someone else had to put it on her."

"Matthias," Becky offered.

Adelaide considered him. "I've never met this guy. I have, but in in whole. I don't know his tricks. Maybe he knew we'd check her memories. Maybe he knew she'd be caught. Or perhaps this was a just-in-case thing. I don't know."

"Let's debate over that later," Becky said. "I want to know about Dave. I'm calling Balthazar."

"Oh, sure, that's a _great_ idea," Adelaide said sarcastically. "Call Balthazar while he's going to bag a werewolf."

Becky flushed, but it was more out of frustration than anything else. "So what should we do, Adelaide? I don't want to leave my boyfriend unconscious."

"Me either," she said. "But we can't do anything more. Trying to revive him will hurt him more. Let him wake up on his own."

"This sucks," Ilana announced. "No information. No Dave. No access to memories." She sat on a chair and leaned against it.

"Agreed," Adelaide mumbled.

.

.

.

Balthazar soothed the creature at his feet. The werewolf had been subdued, thanks to the form of magical restraints. The trackers had did their best. While they had been hard on the werewolf, it had put up quite a fight. Why was it so angry?

Ezra had learned about the werewolf from the woman and police officer. According to him, the woman had simply seen it and panicked. So she couldn't have provoked it. Matthias must have irritated the werewolf with spells or charms.

"Balthazar," Jocelyn said. "Leave the werewolf alone. It won't do any good to try to calm it down."

"It's a female," Percival said. "I think I can determine her current state…" Everyone moved aside to let Percival observe her.

"She didn't do much damage," Sterling pointed out. "I'm glad we won't have to fix a lot of merchandise here."

"But the civilians…" Jocelyn frowned. Balthazar knew she was recalling the faces of the terrified human shoppers.

"They don't know the difference between a wolf and a werewolf," Balthazar said. "I'm sure they'll just report it."

"The police officer wanted to catch her. What should we do with her? If we release her somewhere safe, the cops might think something's up; they could increase security if they think she's still around, hiding," Ezra mumbled. "But if we report her like she is, they might think we have something to do with it."

"We don't have many choices," Jocelyn realized. "And it would be difficult to wipe out every single person's memory. By now, those humans could've told some of their friends and reported it."

"She's been toyed with!" Percival announced. The Merlinians turned their heads to the man.

"What does that mean?" Sterling asked.

"This Matthias has done something to her," Percival said. "Or he might have gotten someone else. Either way, the poor thing's been teased with physical acts. There are some burns on her stomach and tail. I'll tend to her wounds; she might be less aggravated then." Percival bent down next to the werewolf and healed her. She growled at him and the magic. But ultimately, she calmed down, happy to be relieved of pain.

"Good girl," Percival said. "Didn't mean to harm anyone, did you?"

"We're going to release her," Balthazar said. "The civilians can be left alone. The officers will eventually conclude she's run away from the city. I know a place we can bring her to."

"Hopefully it's near the wilderness," Jocelyn muttered as they began to use magical transportation.

"It's in the heart of a forest," Balthazar explained, giving the werewolf an appraising look. "She'll like it. It's uninhabited by humans and has plenty of food."

Balthazar brought them to the promised forest. It had greens of many kinds; being in the mountains, the place had lots of benefits for wildlife. Sterling looked as small animals and insects ran or flew away from them. Percival and Jocelyn assisted Balthazar in untying the creature. She was set towards the nearby cave. It would provide the correct shelter for her.

The werewolf did not cast them any glances as she hurried towards the cave.

"Well," Sterling said, "that was something."

Balthazar nodded in agreement. "She seemed like a tame werewolf. I believe no one will harm her and vice versa."

"Enough with the werewolf," Jocelyn interjected. "We have others to worry about. Balthazar, could you call Adelaide? Maybe she has got something out of Lilith's memories."

"If she did, she would've called us," Ezra pointed out. Worry suddenly flitted across his face. "Do you think something happened?"

Balthazar shook his head. "I'm sure they're fine. Probably waiting for us to return. I'll call her." He whipped out his phone. Adelaide picked up.

"Balthazar," Adelaide greeted. "Before you ask, no, nothing interesting has developed. I tried reaching out to Lilith's mind, but apparently, a charm has been placed on her body. We can't get in."

Disappointment flooded his system. "Are you sure?"

"Totally. But here's the thing: Matthias must've placed it on her. So he knew she would be caught, or something like that. And another thing—y'know the werewolf?"

"We just nabbed her," Balthazar said. "The wolf situation is fine now."

"Yeah, well, not for long," Adelaide responded. "I have nothing to back it up, but I have a bad feeling that something else is gonna be coming your way. Or ours. Because Matthias doesn't release a werewolf for no reason. No one has attacked either of us, so the distract-and-capture thing didn't work. He was probably sitting back and watching the whole thing; so be careful."

"I understand what you're saying," Balthazar said. "I was actually hoping Matthias would come out of the dark. We could've caught him. It's a pity she has that charm on her. Can you try waking her up and speaking to her again? Adelaide, we _need_ this information."

"I know, I know. It's unbelievable, actually. We have Matthias's only pawn and she won't even spill the beans. She could have key secrets. It really sucks."

"Indeed," Balthazar said in agreement. "But wake her up and try to fish something out of her. Keep us posted on anything new."

"I swear."

"All right."


	35. Prompt 060: Vampire

_**A/N:** This is pretty much coming to an end, as I see it, despite having more prompts to do. Of course, I have a surprise in store for all my reviewing and silent readers. At least, I hope it's a surprise to you. Read and enjoy._

* * *

Prompt 60 : Vampire

"Dave? You all right?"

The voice was hesitant. Dave's eyes opened to see Ilana hovering over him. He started to get up, but felt a surge of pain crawl down his spine.

He fell back on the couch, nearly cursing.

"Sorry," Ilana said, wincing. "I should've told you. Lilith had some charm placed on her. It makes her immune to any mind spells we try. So in conclusion, when you tried yours on her, you were affected."

He shook his head. "Right. But what about the back pain?"

The girl suddenly looked worried. "I don't know, Dave," she said sincerely. "Adelaide didn't mention anything about pain."

"Adelaide!" He recalled that he hadn't seen Becky or the redhead since he woke up. "Where are the rest?"

"Oh! Yeah. Adelaide left for a few to get someone. She'll be back any moment. Becky—"

The door opened. Dave could tell it was Adelaide. She boomed, "I'm here, not to worry! And I have an extra acquaintance, Ilana, so we gotta make space."

"HEY!" Dave interrupted loudly. Everyone's eyes flew to him. Adelaide hurried over to the couch. Someone else appeared. She had short brown hair and dark eyes.

"Is this the boy?" the woman asked in a curious voice. Dave paused. She spoke with a French accent. She had to be Tess. Who else could she be? Although Dave wanted to know why she was here, in his living room.

"Yes, this is him," Adelaide sighed, sounding resigned. "Dave—Tess. Tess, this is Dave, now move."

She slid over to him. Adelaide peered at Dave. She begun to prod at various parts of his body. "Nothing hurts, does it?"

"When I tried to sit up, my back hurt," he muttered.

"Okay. That's probably an effect of the spell. No worries, though. I'm sure it'll be gone in a few," Adelaide said.

"Excuse me," Tess cut in coldly. Her footsteps rung in the room as she walked around the couch and in front of Dave. She put a hand on Adelaide's arm and eyed him with a strange expression.

"What is it?" Adelaide asked, annoyed.

"He's from the Incantus," she said. "The Prime Merlinian. Interesting." The way she said it didn't sound so friendly. Dave remembered what Adelaide said about her old jobs. About Tess herself. This woman was supposedly neutral, but she was upset that Morganians were hiding because of him…

"Don't touch him," Adelaide called sharply as she swat Tess's hand away. Tess frowned but complied with her order.

"Um, Adelaide?" Ilana suddenly piped up.

"Who is this girl?"

"None of your concern, Tessie," Adelaide sighed. "Ilana, what is it?"

"Becky's still sleeping. Should I wake her up?"

"Go ahead. I don't like the idea of all of us staying at Dave's."

Dave sat up, forgetting about the previous pain. It flared up in his spine again. Through gritted teeth, Dave replied hotly, "Well, I didn't say I wanted all of you here anyways. Not including you, Ilana," he added to the girl.

"Sit down," Adelaide demanded.

"Stop speaking so sharply," Dave mumbled. He sank back into the couch's soft material.

"I meant that there are no protective charms or shields here. Arcana Cabana's a good spot though."

Tess nodded in mutual agreement. "It was rather precise. Have they been renewed?"

"Yeah, last week. Let's go."

Ilana returned with Becky. Dave craned his neck to get a look at his girlfriend. She appeared to be sleepy. Becky rubbed her eyes and smiled at him.

"Hey," she said. "Feeling any better?"

"It's hard to sit up… Oh, and we're heading to Arcana Cabana."

"It's safer there," she noted. "But how are we going to remove you?"

He shrugged. "I was hoping Adelaide had the answer to that."

"I could try to pick you up…"

"I don't know if that would work," Tess cut in. "He might be too heavy." After giving him an appraising look, she added, "Or not."

He flushed, but it was true.

"I have a different idea." Adelaide sat on the edge of the couch's arm. "I'll transport us through magic. I just need to make skin contact, after all."

"I'll take the rest," Ilana offered.

"No, you haven't been properly trained. The only thing you know is plasma bolts."

"I know shields too," Ilana protested.

"Tessie, I trust you enough to take Becky and Ilana here," Adelaide said.

"And I trust you enough not to call me that," the other woman responded. But she took Becky's hand in her own and gestured for Ilana to do the same.

.

.

.

"Dave?"

Brown eyes met blue ones. Dave blinked. He had been sleeping on the bed. The back pains had passed a few minutes ago, which was good. But Becky still looked more worried than usual.

"Need anything?" he asked, sitting up.

"Adelaide said you felt okay now…"

"She wasn't lying," Dave said. "But I sure won't be touching Lilith any time soon."

Becky sat next to him on the bed. "I was thinking about what Lilith wanted."

His heart sank. Yes, it had been tempting to say yes, but it would've brought a lot of consequences. Dave hadn't thought about how the others would feel. To have the answer to his problems so close, yet he had to refuse. However, his girlfriend must've known Lilith's proposal was bad news one way or another.

Swallowing his pride, Dave answered, "I thought about it too. I'm sure I have to say no. There's something up with that watch and I know nothing good can come from it."

"I understand, Dave. But I want to try something… Dr. Connelly said something might trigger your old memories. Maybe…"

Dave felt a lump in his throat. He didn't know if he felt sad or eager. But he still said, "I'm open to anything."

Suddenly, Becky's lips came in contact with Dave's. She was kissing him, he realized awkwardly. Was this the trigger? He didn't have any memories coming on. Nevertheless, Becky tasted sweet and wonderful. He could do this forever.

His hands wrapped around her waist. Her arms were thrown around his neck, bringing Dave closer to Becky's face. His eyes were open; he was so close he could see the specific color of her hair in Arcana Cabana's light.

She tasted better than before. Probably because of all the passion she was throwing into it. Dave found himself eagerly responding with his own brand of passion. Becky's grip on his body grew tighter. She was surprisingly strong for her stature.

Dave shut his eyes. _Focus, Dave, focus,_ he chanted in his mind. This wasn't about getting it on with his girlfriend. He needed his memories back, and quick. If this was the trigger his amnesia required, he had to embrace it. Dave held Becky close to his chest, silently begging for a single shred of the past to come.

He tried to imagine everything his Incantus showed. He tried to think about their eagle trip to Paris and the breakfast they had. He tried to remember how it felt to be so happy, to hold her hands under the table while their food came. How they smiled at one another. How it was like the most perfect moment in the world. That was how it looked like in his Incantus. But what he wanted was to _see_ it, _have _it with him again.

Becky broke away, gasping for air. Dave fell back onto the pillows. He rasped for breath as well. He hadn't imagined such passion could've been just for him. Dave suddenly realized how lucky he was this girl was with him. He smiled at her as she finally adjusted to normal breathing patterns.

"Sorry," she said. She pushed a thick strand of hair away from her eyes. "I kind of left air out of the equation."

"Don't worry about it," Dave said sheepishly. He never encountered something like this. Being single in his teens didn't do much for his romance. And the books didn't mention pleasure. He hoped his replies were as ordinary as anyone else's.

"Did you remember anything?"

"No."

Becky stunned him once again by giving him a light kiss on the forehead. "I thought so," she said softly, "but still, that was the best kiss we've ever had."

It should've been illegal to surprise a guy so much in just one day. Dave kissed her back, this time on the lips, but it was nothing like their previous kiss.

"Dave. I want to—"

The door opened and slammed into the wall. The two immediately looked at the intruder. It was Adelaide. She glared at the door. "Damn," she said. "This thing needs to be fixed."

"Need anything?" Dave asked flatly. He hoped she would say no.

"Actually, it's not what I need, but what your master needs." Adelaide gestured to the outside. "Matthias has been kind enough to unleash another one of his creatures."

Dave jumped up from the bed. "Balthazar needs our help? Where is he?"

"It's a vampire. A particularly harmless one…except for the fact he keeps trying to bite the trackers."

"Um, okay."

"C'mon," Adelaide said. "I want you to see it. It's not common for vamps to appear in cities." After giving Becky a sideways look, she said, "Bring Blondie if you want. She could brag to her friends about seeing a vampire."

"Is Tess accompanying us?" Becky inquired.

"No; she prefers to stay here than deal with a vampire. Forget her. A non-sparkling being awaits us."

.

.

.

"I don't think I've ever seen you so excited," Dave commented as Adelaide cheerfully led them to the library. She was rather pleased about the whole thing, despite having to carry Lilith.

"Yeah, well, vampires are fun. Been a while since I saw one up close," she said happily. "Ah! There's Balthazar."

"I'll have Jocelyn take Lilith," Balthazar said when they gathered. He pointed to the entrance with his thumb. "The vampire's in there. Dave, I thought it would be a good idea to have you here. You need to learn about creatures, after all. It's too bad you missed out on the werewolf."

"It was too big and angered. It was _good_ he wasn't here," Ezra said, coming out the library. "The boy's getting feisty."

"Aren't all vampires like that?" Adelaide asked, smiling.

"Nope. Some might decide to kill the first person they see. Others are actually more controlled beings."

"And the rest are horrible, sparkling people who suck the blood of animals," Adelaide added. She shook her head and laughed. "I hate Twilight."

"This one is the first, unfortunately," Ezra sighed. But his tone changed severely. "_No. Twilight. Jokes_."

"No?" Adelaide said. She frowned a little.

"Everyone in the room gets pissed when Twilight's mentioned. And we don't need that right now."

.

.

.

The vampire looked nothing like the ones in old horror movies. He did have pale skin, however, and a deep look of hatred. He kept shooting looks at the trackers. He was probably around sixteen or seventeen. His eyes were dark gray. The vampire's clothes were torn.

When Dave came a bit closer, he opened his mouth and made a biting notion. Dave noted the sharp-looking fangs; they were coated with blood. He grimaced and wondered who had the displeasure of being bitten by those.

"Careful," Veronica cautioned. "I think he's fed recently but just wants to bite us."

"Damn vampire," Adelaide commented. She ignored Ilana's pleas and moved in on the creature. She bent down.

He howled at her. Adelaide winced at the noise but it did not faze her. And then she did something completely uncalled for: she slapped him.

"Adelaide!" Becky cried. "What was that for?"

"He's aggravated enough," Sterling murmured. "The slapping wasn't necessary."

"There's already a pattern forming," Adelaide said. She acted like the two hadn't even spoken. "First the werewolf is upset and then this one is too. Matthias must've been the owner of all of them. I don't know how he got his hands on all these guys without being torn to pieces. He was busy already."

"He must be a skilled sorcerer," Veronica said, sounding distressed. "That will only add to our troubles. But at least we have her." She gave Lilith a pointed look.

"Has she told you anything?" Jocelyn questioned.

"No," Adelaide said. "It sucks the charm is there."

"We'll get information any way we can," Balthazar said. "This vampire isn't giving us anything. So we can kill him and save the New York police squad any trouble."

"You couldn't get any news?" Dave asked, disappointed. He looked at the boy. "I don't know if it's appropriate to kill him…"

"You killed Morgana," Ilana pointed out.

"Because she's a threat to every living being," Dave said. "Or was. But this, this is just a kid. He's barely my age."

"Age doesn't weigh in on the matter," Balthazar said harshly. "He won't spill. He's already murdered some innocent person out there. He doesn't even seem to react to us talking over him. So it's only necessary this one dies."

"I dunno…"

"Dave, don't argue with him," Adelaide interjected. Dave looked at her with a shocked expression. "The vamp's dangerous to humans. End of discussion. We just need to kill him and get it over with."

"You need to know how to do this," Ezra said. "You're probably going to encounter some creatures in your lifetime."

Percival, who had remained quiet during the entire conversation, opened up a black bag he was holding. Dave could see the tips of sharp wood.

"Stakes?" he guessed.

"Not even close," Adelaide said. "Fire kills vampires."

Percival removed a lighter from the bag and offered it to Balthazar. "This is how it's done," he said calmly. Balthazar took the thick sticks of wood and placed them on the ground. He murmured something to Sterling. Ezra and the blonde quickly moved to the vampire. They shoved him on top of the wood.

Dave's stomach churned. He agreed that civilian safety was a priority, but he'd never seen a murder before. Only Morgana's, of course, but that was different.

The vampire didn't struggle. He grimaced and howled as Balthazar brought the lighter close. He didn't make a move to get away, though.

Dave winced as the flames consumed the wood and eventually the vampire. He shrieked. In a matter of seconds, he was nothing but ash. Dave frowned. That was quick. It wasn't even dramatic.

"She's waking up!" Jocelyn called.

Immediately, everyone flocked to the half-conscious blonde. She was stirring. Adelaide was eager, Dave noted. He was too. Maybe she would actually say something. Or at least warn them of the next creature.

"Matthias," Lilith began. She suddenly saw all the different faces.

"Hey," Adelaide said, waving a hand in front of her. "Care to talk?"

Lilith's eyes wandered to the pile of ash. "You killed Cesar." Oddly enough, she did not sound upset or annoyed. In fact, her tone was pleasant.

"That we did," Adelaide replied. "Now. Are you going to indulge information or not?"


	36. Prompt 065: Dryad

Prompt 65 : Dryad

"What do you want to know?"

Lilith sounded surprisingly willing. Maybe it was because Adelaide had shooed everyone out of the room.

"A lot of things," Adelaide muttered in response.

Lilith propped herself up on her elbows. "Was killing Cesar difficult?"

"Nope. He was kinda weak."

"The werewolf?" Lilith questioned.

"I didn't deal with that, but the trackers seemed to handle her pretty well."

A frown took shape. "Really?"

"Matthias must be a real pushover. I was expecting some hard Morganian stuff. Stuff like mini Horvaths and hydras," Adelaide mused. "No personal attacks either."

"He's…not a professional, sure, but he's good," Lilith said. She suddenly turned pink.

_Oh, that's disgusting,_ she thought. "I have a question for you."

"Shoot," Lilith replied.

"You and Matthias… Have you two slept together?"

The blonde's eyes grew large. Adelaide almost thought they would pop right out of her head. Her cheeks were pinker now too. Adelaide shook her head. The answer was very obvious.

"He's a hundred years old," Adelaide said sharply.

"No he isn't. He and I are only a couple of years apart."

She appraised Lilith. "So that's why you're helping him. I never thought you were like that." But in her mind, she was looking back into all the time she spent with Lilith. The time she had with Matthias. Never once did she find a trace of adoration in her friend's voice. The emotional connection must've taken place after Adelaide left.

"The hell! I really do like him, Addie," Lilith said. Her demeanor was serious. "He likes me too, you know."

"I don't know. And frankly, I don't care. But I am interested in how this plays into his goal."

Lilith's blush died down. "It doesn't. He and I are just trying things. His plans are separate from our relationship."

"Trying things? You seemed happy back at the apartment," Adelaide noted. "I'm sure this is another one of his tricks. And you're falling for it as he intended."

"You need to stop accusing people, Adelaide," Lilith said, a hint of irritation in her features.

"Let's get back to the original topic. What's he going to throw in our faces next? A banshee?" It was an unlikely guess, but a guess nonetheless.

"No banshees," Lilith replied. "I can't tell you, of course, but I don't want any scars on my body." After a deliberate pause, she said, "A dryad."

Adelaide's eyebrows furrowed. "What are those?"

Lilith pursed her lips. "Don't expect me to tell you everything, Addie. A dryad is a tree nymph. That's all."

"What the heck is a nymph?" The unfamiliar words taunted her. They reminded her of the average education she had as a Morganian apprentice.

"Shh." She put a finger to her lips, and her head hit the floor.

.

.

.

"A dryad," Balthazar began, "is a creature of Greek mythology. They're disguised as trees but can have a human appearance as well. They're supposedly very beautiful."

"Fun," Adelaide murmured. She was still a bit sore over Lilith's sudden fainting.

"Ignore her," Dave encouraged his master. "We have more important things to focus on."

"I take it you know what a dryad is?"

"Mythology was a mandatory subject at my middle school," Dave said impatiently. "Did Lilith say where we could find this dryad?"

"No."

He didn't look pleased with her response.

"Dryads are usually located in forests and places with a lot of greenery," Balthazar explained. "It might be hard to find one in New York City."

"I know," Sterling suddenly interrupted. "Check the Botanical Garden. I've seen a dryad or two hanging around there."

"Are you sure?" Becky asked tentatively.

"Definitely. Come with me; I'll show you where."

Sterling guided them to the garden. The rest stayed with Lilith. It was closed, but magical means provided them with a way to enter. Sterling directed them to the dryad's home. Adelaide only saw trees and shrubs. A leaf crunched under the sole of her boot.

"The dryads are shy," Sterling said. "They don't mean anyone harm either. Well, these dryads won't."

"I don't know why Matthias would use dryads as an offense," Dave said, eyeing the trees as if they would turn into ferocious creatures. "If you're right, then it won't do much good for him."

Sterling put his fingers to his lips and whistled. The trees immediately began to take shape. The thick trunks grew slimmer and slimmer, the roots shrinking back. The color of the tree's head turned less green, and more auburn. Adelaide blinked in awe as she took in the stunning beauty of the dryads. They looked like humans but their features were perfect and their skin was as smooth as a pearl's. They even smelled good. One of the two dryads giggled at Sterling. The other one even winked at Dave.

"Shy. Yeah right," Adelaide muttered under her breath.

Sterling turned pink for a moment. "The dryads like to flirt," he offered in their defense, although it wasn't much of an argument.

"Do any one of you know someone by the name of Matthias?" Adelaide asked.

The taller of the two spoke. "He comes here sometimes. We watch him, but he's not interesting."

"Not at all," her friend added.

"Of course, there was one time he came, and was upset. _That_ was interesting, so we listened." A pause. "He mentioned an important name."

The dryads were thrown off guard when the trio demanded information.

In an affronted tone, the tall dryad told them, "It was the Prime Merlinian. We nymphs don't dabble in sorcery or their histories, but we know he is quite the high figure. He was speaking with someone else, on a device called…"

"A cell phone," her friend interjected. "That's what it's called."

"Right. A cell phone. He said things of amnesia. We didn't understand half of the conversation; we stopped listening."

"You didn't hear anything else?" Dave asked. Disappointment colored his tone. Adelaide felt a bit of sympathy for him.

"No," the two said simultaneously.

"Are you completely sure?" Sterling asked.

"We're sure." With that, the two of them began to morph back into trees.

Adelaide couldn't help but say, "What a waste of time. Let's get back to Lilith."

"At least we know he was here."

"That's not good enough, unfortunately," Sterling sighed. "Oh well. Maybe Lilith will talk to you again, Adelaide."

"Maybe." But she knew for sure there would be no more hints.

And suddenly, as if on whim, Dave dropped to the ground. His head hit the roots and dirt before anyone could catch him, causing a loud noise. Adelaide and Sterling exchanged winces. Had he been awake, that would be painful. The two of them bent down and checked him for head injuries or cuts. He was all right, despite being unconscious.

"Crap," Sterling groaned.

"Crap indeed," she agreed. "What happened to him?"

"I don't know. Balthazar or Veronica will know." He began to use magical transportation before he was cut off. A hacked cough came from Dave's lips.

"Dave?" Adelaide called in disbelief.

He coughed again. Tiny drops of red appeared out of his mouth. Feeling more startled than before, Adelaide began to check him over again.

"Oh. This is bad. Really bad." Sterling quickly assessed Dave before coming to a conclusion. "It's poison."

"_Poison?_"

"Yeah, it's something I picked up during my apprenticeship. Some dryads have a scent that more or less affects sorcerers. I didn't notice today because I was fine when I saw them…"

Adelaide recalled how sweet the females smelled. That must have been the poison. However, nothing was happening to her or Sterling.

"How is it I'm fine and you're fine, but he's not?" The blonde jabbed a finger at Dave.

"I don't know," she snapped. "But the sooner we get him to Blake or Veronica, the sooner they can help him."

"It totally slipped my mind. I should've mentioned the poison earlier—"

"Oh no, you should've asked me out to tea and crackers. Why mention something as little as _poison?_" She held Dave up in her arms. Her free fingers monitored his chest for a heartbeat. Luckily he was still breathing but he was out of commission.

"I'm sorry!" Sterling tried to help, but she pushed him away.

"I have healing properties," Adelaide said, just beginning to recall. "I can heal him right away." Pressing two fingers to his temple, she murmured something about rotten luck while watching the process begin. It was fairly simple.

"I don't see anything working," Sterling said worriedly.

"No, no. It's fine," she assured him. After a few minutes, she sensed Dave was stirring.

He opened his eyes groggily and faced two surprised faces. "I fainted, right?" His voice sounded strong, despite his sleepy appearance.

"Yes," Adelaide said. "Sterling conveniently neglected to mention the dryads' poison."

"I'm really sorry, Dave," he quickly said. "But you're okay now."

"Healing, remember?" Adelaide helped him stand up. "To the library. Right now."

"We didn't get any useful information out of the dryads, huh?" It was more of a statement than a fact.

"Yeah," Adelaide sighed.

"Oh," Dave said.

Her mood matched his tone. Neither of them were happy with the results.


	37. Prompt 063: Fairy

Prompt 63 : Fairy

She suppressed an angry moan as her eyelids fluttered. The harsh lights of the library was making her head ache.

Lilith blinked a few times. She kept her breathing low and inaudible. She was sure someone was watching her, but not very carefully. Balthazar would've been noted otherwise. Lilith guessed it was one of the younger trackers. If so, she'd be able to knock him or her out in a couple of minutes…

_Maybe a sleeping spell? Or should I just go for paralysis? _Lilith didn't waste too much time on her decision. She turned her head, blowing blonde strands of hair out of her face. She saw someone sitting in a chair. It was the short female tracker. Lilith felt hope. This would be very simple, very quick.

As Lilith slowly got up from the floor, she realized the girl—was it Ilana?—was preoccupied with her cell phone. Clicking noises filled the room, masking the soft taps of her moving feet.

The girl sighed. Lilith froze. "I don't have time for dates anymore," she murmured to herself.

_That makes two of us_, Lilith thought humorlessly. She tiptoed over to the tracker. Her fingertips noiselessly sparked with magic. Her hands shot forward, touching both of the girl's temples. She gasped, but was unable to do anything. The magic took effect, taking away muscle function.

Lilith made her way to the windows. Using magic, she smashed one. She winced at the sound of crushed glass. Shouts began to fill the hallway. Lilith quickly escaped the library and found herself on the outside. She saw a car parked on the street and made a snap decision.

After working her way into the car, she placed her hands on the wheel. _Hope I still remember how to drive,_ she thought, frowning to herself.

.

.

.

"Adelaide!"

"Ouch. Take it down an octave," she grumbled into Dave's phone. "What's up?"

"Bad news," Becky said anxiously. "Lilith got away. She used a paralyzing spell on Ilana. Jocelyn's freaking out."

"Where's Balthazar?" Adelaide asked. Dave's eyes flickered over to meet hers. The mention of his master suddenly brought concern to his face.

"Ask about Becky," Dave urged.

"It _is_ Becky," Adelaide said, irritated. He shouldn't have been worrying about her; he should've been thinking about his fellow sorcerers.

"How is she?"

"Fine. Now, about Balthazar?"

"Balthazar left with Ezra. They're trying to find Lilith and bring her back. No doubt she's going back to Matthias," Becky said. "Percival went with them. I'm with Ilana and Jocelyn, and it isn't pretty. Come to the library quickly."

Grr. Order from a human. Pure torture, especially since saying something back would upset Dave.

"Yeah, sure." Snapping the phone shut, she handed it back to Dave. "We're needed back at the library."

"For different purposes, I guess?" Dave said.

"Lilith got out. Ilana's paralyzed and her mother is very upset, from what I heard. Damn. I wonder if she's going to back out of the job?"

"It wouldn't be much of a loss," Sterling interjected as Adelaide prepared their transportation. "She was always worrying about her daughter and her fighting wasn't the best."

"It's her choice to leave," Dave sighed. "It's probably best she doesn't get involved anymore."

"She was better than nothing," Adelaide said. "The transport's ready."

.

.

.

When they got to the library, the first thing Adelaide noticed was the broken glass. It decorated the floor; no one bothered to clean up the mess, she guessed. Becky leaped up from her seat and hugged Dave. Jocelyn didn't greet anyone. She stayed with her daughter, who was also on the floor.

"No one tried to help her," Jocelyn suddenly piped up. She shot daggers at Adelaide. "They were busy chasing after Miss Thing."

_Is that even considered an insult?_ Adelaide questioned mentally. Instead, she opted for a nicer comeback. "Hey, Jocelyn, I'm sure you could've done something. Your daughter, right?"

She bent down and healed the girl. Jocelyn continued glaring, but it didn't seem to be directed at anyone in particular.

"Sorry about Ilana," Sterling offered. "But look, Addie's already getting her back on her feet."

Ilana came back to her senses within an instant. She flexed her jaw and fingers. "Hmm," she said. "I feel better. Thanks."

"Ilana!" Jocelyn hugged her. "How do you feel?"

"I just said, Mom," Ilana sighed.

Becky, who had been eerily quiet for the entire time, suddenly said, "Jocelyn, you can leave right now if you want. Balthazar said it was up to you."

The woman nodded. "Yes. I'll go now. Come on, Ilana. I don't want to spend too much time on packing."

"Go," Dave said, nodding. "I'll tell Balthazar."

"What is that?" Becky said, jabbing a finger at the broken window.

"It's damaged property," Adelaide said. She felt an itch to add "obviously" after it.

"No, no, that thing that's glowing. Look more closely," Becky murmured impatiently.

Adelaide looked. There was only darkness. The jagged edges of the broken window made it difficult to see any glowing.

"I think it's a fairy," Dave said suddenly. "It was in the Encantus."

"What the hell would a fairy be doing here?" Ilana snapped.

"Ilana," Jocelyn said, appalled.

"Mom, I'm almost an adult. I think I'm allowed to cuss once or twice."

"It's a fairy, all right," Adelaide said. "Let me go—"

Out of the blue, something streaked through the air and landed in her eye. Adelaide shouted a long string of profanities as she tumbled to the floor. She covered her eye with a hand, albeit it did nothing to stop the burning, sharp pain.

"Adelaide!" Sterling cried. "You okay?"

"Just peachy," she said in a low hiss. The pain began to decrease. Still hurt, though.

"It was the fairy," Jocelyn said in a stunned tone. "Didn't you see it?"

"It's hard to see anything with one of my eyes burning like hell."

"The fairy probably poked you or something," Sterling said, attempting to calm her down. "No worries; you'll feel better any moment now."

"Where'd the fairy go?" Becky questioned. "I'm sure it's still around…"

Ilana's eyes widened as she eyed the library's ceiling. "Can you imagine? A little fairy trying to do something so mean-spirited."

Adelaide couldn't help but chuckle. This kid didn't know much about the nature of fairies. "Yeah, well, it succeeded."

"Lilith or Matthias must have sent it," Dave said. "Like with the previous creatures. It's stupid, I know, but who says fairies can't be harmful?"

"They are," Adelaide muttered. "If they bite you with their teeth, despite the size, the wound will receive several magical infections. So be careful around these damned things."

Everyone (save for Adelaide, who was still nursing her eye) exchanged looks of slight worry. While a fairy honestly didn't sound like much trouble, none of them had dealt with one before. And how were they expected to find an incredibly small thing in a huge library?


	38. Prompt 098: Lies

**_A/N:_**_ I haven't updated in a long time. Sorry, you guys. Hopefully all of my readers will have time for this chapter, despite its content being short of something big._

* * *

Prompt 98 : Lies

"Derrick, calm down," Meg whispered, shooting her boss a look.

"I can't," he seethed. He pressed his palms down on the granite counter and agitatedly demanded, "What kind of a facility are you running?"

"Derrick," Meg practically begged.

_No,_ Derrick thought, and rightfully so. He and Meg had been standing for ten minutes in the waiting room without any help in sight. The woman at the desk promised she'd get Dr. Connelly; he wasn't busy today. But neither she or the doctor had shown up. Derrick was beginning to get suspicious.

"Hey," a voice called. The heads turned to see a woman with brown hair. It wasn't the receptionist but someone else. She was dressed in a white coat, so Derrick deduced she was one of the staff members.

"You looked a little upset," she said, "and I was wondering if I could assist you. What's up?"

"Ah, finally. Decent help," Derrick muttered.

"We spoke with the receptionist just some time ago. She told us she would get the doctor we were looking for," Meg told her. "But there's still no sign of either of them."

"Hmm. Usually we're very quick to tend to people's needs," she said, frowning. "I'm Meredith Weller, formerly known as Dr. Weller. I suppose I could find the doctor you're looking for. What's his or her name?"

"Dr. Connelly," Derrick and Meg said simultaneously.

Derrick could not help but notice the lines that appeared across her forehead. It didn't seem possible, but Dr. Weller's frown deepened. He and Meg exchanged a brief look. He'd never seen a doctor react like this before.

"I know of him," Dr. Weller informed them. "He isn't active at all today and there aren't any scheduled surgeries… His room is somewhere here. I'll show you two the way up."

Relief flooded Derrick's system.

"Thank goodness you spotted us," he told her as they made their way to the elevator. "I might've gone into a tantrum sooner or later."

Dr. Weller shrugged her shoulders. "It was no problem. By the way, is this an urgent visit? Or are you friends of Dr. Connelly?"

"Nope," Meg said. Dr. Weller punched in a button on the elevator wall. "Derrick's son stayed here for a while and he wanted to meet up with the doctor who cared for him."

"I worked with Dr. Connelly a couple of times. Maybe I know the patient."

"His name's David Stutler," Derrick mentioned. "He has amnesia. Uncommon, but that's what he has."

"Oh, Stutler? Yes, I did meet him. I actually some him again, right after his first admittance," Dr. Weller said. "When he got those stitches?" She looked at them, not expecting to see worried faces.

"Stitches?" Derrick questioned. "No, my son never mentioned stitches."

"And a first admittance? Are you saying he came in again?" Meg added on. Derrick watched her nose scrunch up in confusion.

Dr. Weller was taking it calmly, although under that mask of calm, Derrick was sure she was just as bewildered.

"He didn't mention his second admittance?" she asked. "That's very strange. I assumed he would inform any close relatives."

"_I am his father_," Derrick said through gritted teeth. "Why wouldn't he tell me?"

"Derrick, please," Meg interrupted in a soothing voice. "She's trying to help."

The elevator suddenly stopped, but no one got out.

"I'd like to know about his second trip to St. Carina's," he said.

"Just a simple head injury. All it required was stitches. David said he tripped."

"Who was there to sign the papers?" Derrick demanded. "Surely not me. I would have remembered something like this."

"Someone by the name of Balthazar Blake did," she responded quickly. "He told me and Dr. Connelly he was Dave's uncle. This is the same man that brought him in when he was diagnosed with amnesia."

"Balthazar Blake?" Derrick drew the name out slowly, carefully. He knew of the man, and even knew his wife's name. Veronica Blake.

"You must be mistaken," Derrick said. "Balthazar is not my son's uncle. I am not his brother. He is, however, his girlfriend's uncle."

"No, he said himself he was the uncle of David Stutler. He signed away on everything. Was very sympathetic. A nice man," Dr. Weller added.

"Hmm," Derrick said. "That is…incredibly strange."

"It's not my business. You can sort this all out when you leave. But right now, it's time to see Dr. Connelly."

"Finally," Meg said, smiling a bit.

"Brace yourselves," Dr. Weller murmured under her breath.


	39. Prompt 050: Quarterstaff

Prompt 50 : Quarterstaff

Despite the distance and darkness, he could see the car being parked near the building. The structure was halfway finished, but the company was ordered to complete another project in SoHo. While many gaping holes covered the building, it was a good place to keep oneself hidden.

Through a large square he watched Lilith hurry over to the entrance and let herself in. He winced repeatedly at the loud noises she made. She was a decent sorceress, but was capable of making careless mistakes.

With the Encantus firmly held in his hands, Matthias transported himself to the bottom level of the building. Lilith had been tiptoeing around, and when he said, "It's nice to see you unharmed," she practically jumped to the ceiling.

Now that she was up close, it was easy to see she'd escaped narrowly. The panic was fresh in her eyes and her blonde hair was messy. Matthias clucked his tongue as she gathered herself.

"I got away," she finally said. "They chased me for half an hour, but I was able to throw them off my trail."

His eyes lazily traveled up her body. "You could much better, you know."

"I'm not Maxim Horvath or Morgana herself, Matthias," she said carefully. Her voice was strained, not due to the fact he might've been angry with her, but because she wasn't sure if he was her employer now or her lover. "Magic is quite difficult for me."

"I'm aware you haven't had the ideal training…"

"Mmm," Lilith said in response. "What is that for?" She looked down at the Encantus.

"I was leafing through pages," he explained shortly.

"All right. Found anything useful?"

"It was not for this situation, exactly," Matthias mumbled under his breath. More loudly, he carried on. "I've researched some handy spells, though. Ever heard of the Parasite Spell?"

Her eyebrows narrowed. The expression was clearly one of anger. "Do you think I'm so stupid that you can boast about it in front of me? And even after we—"

"I wasn't boasting. Simply asking a question," Matthias replied soothingly. He reached out and caught her by the wrist. She seemed to shiver. "I'm not going to kill you, silly girl. In fact, quite the opposite."

"Then I apologize," the blonde murmured. She was embarrassed now, for making such remarks.

He attempted to pull her closer, but Lilith wouldn't allow anything more than a hand on her wrist. Matthias realized, with sourness, that while he had slept with her, he hadn't won her trust completely.

"Why are you worried I'm going to kill you? I'm keeping you around, I'm letting you do these things for me."

"At the expense of my own life," Lilith added on with a frown.

"Do you want to leave, then? I'll pay you for your last actions."

Lilith grew silent. He knew she didn't want to leave the city, or him. Ever since Adelaide left, she was upset about having to do things on her own, as opposed to doing it with a partner.

"The Parasite Spell won't do any good against them," Matthias said, breaking the silence. "Balthazar Blake is a powerful sorcerer. I'm just one man."

"You're good at magic too."

"Nowhere as good as him, Lilith. You know that as well as I do. But let me get down to the point…"

Matthias handed her the Encantus to hold. He sat down on a dusty chair he'd brought inside himself. "I'm expected somewhere. I told you about my other job, yes?"

She nodded.

"That boy, Dave. His amnesia can be cured quite quickly," he informed her. "It takes a potion to get rid of it, but the whole process is complicated. This potion is very rare and difficult to make."

"Could Balthazar make it, if he set his mind to it?" Lilith asked him. She looked worried, and she had a right to be.

"If he knew about it and set his mind to it, he probably could. Unfortunately for him, the instructions to the potion have been hidden. It's not even in the Encantus," he said. "Good for us… I actually have it with me."

"You do?" Surprise colored her tone.

"Hidden in a quarterstaff. It took me three damn years just to find half of the ingredients." He regarded her expression with amusement. "Why do you look stunned? It's not like I just popped up in New York after Morgana's death. I was planning this for some time now."

"All this for a pocket watch, Matthias?" she cried.

"Listen to yourself." He shook his head. "You were explaining its importance when you had him at the subway station, and now you act like it's a mere trinket."

"I'm sorry…but three years! Why would you collect a cure for his amnesia? What if Balthazar finds out you have it?" She shuddered at the thought.

"Lily," Matthias said sternly. "Did that chase damage your brain?"

"It was panic-inducing, but no," she replied tartly.

"Forgive me, but you're very slow to understand things today. Like I mentioned before, you told him the details of the plan at the subway station. If he actually agreed to fixing it, I would have to give him his cure," Matthias sighed. What was wrong with the woman? "Don't you see?"

"Now I do."

"Yes, well… Does it truly find people? And who is it you want to find? You didn't tell me."

"I don't want them to hurt you. You have enough valuable information already." Matthias clasped his hands together. "I formed another plan in my head while you were gone."

"I'm going to have to go back, aren't I?" Her eyes flashed with impatience, and Matthias wondered if she was recalling the warning Adelaide had given her.

"No. This time, it's all me."

"Oh," she said. But then, in a more interested tone, she asked, "What is it?"

"I'm planning on persuading him to fix the watch. He'll refuse, I know, but if I gave him a taste of his reward, I'm sure he'll succumb to temptation pretty swiftly," Matthias said.

"A taste of his reward…?"

"You'll understand when I put it into action. Stay here for the time being, Lilith. I have to go now, but I'll be back when I can."

"Wait!" she said. She leaned in closer and said, "I'm sorry. I should've trusted you better. Adelaide is just getting into my head, is all."

He kissed her for a few seconds, then nodded, and left the building with his disguise on.


	40. Author's Note

Due to several reasons, I can no longer continue this story. I apologize to anyone who seriously was looking forward to the end of the fic. A big thank you goes to the readers and for everyone who reviewed. An extra round of thanks goes to kenobigirliz for being my 100th reviewer. Again, I'm sorry, but I just can't continue.


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